The Troubles of a Misplaced Hero
by Blazorna aka Kamen Rider Thorn
Summary: It started with a bad day. However, things get worse as Ben winds up in an alternate world where using the Omnitrix does more harm than good to him. Does his only hope of finding a way back home lie with a wraith who faithfully serves her evil mistress? Rated M for blood, violence, adult themes, and some disturbing content.
1. Prologue: Hero No More

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10 or Queen's Blade. Ben 10 is owned by Cartoon Network while Queen's Blade belongs to hobbyJAPAN. This story is for entertainment purposes only and not for profit. Anyone who denies that will get their butt kicked by Rath. **

* * *

**Prologue: Hero No More**

* * *

Benjamin Kirby Tennyson was not having a good day. First an atomic wedgie, followed by a pop quiz in History. Lunch was Mystery Meat Monday, and perhaps what he actually considered to be the only good highlight of the day, stopping a bank robbery as Four Arms after school.

However, just when he thought things were getting better, Eon appeared.

What Eon did baffled the eleven-year-old. Instead of fighting him, his time traveling adversary opened up a portal of some kind and quickly shoved the young hero inside without a word. When he entered it, he immediately passed out from some powerful, unseen force pushing against his entire body. He didn't know how much time passed, but he awoke upon landing hard on top of the Omnitrix, the alien device that allowed him to turn into different aliens, with his face.

"Oww… Pain…" Ben whimpered as he rolled onto his back and rubbed his forehead, specifically where it collided with the Omnitrix. His head repeatedly pulsed in pain, as if his head was used as a hammer multiple times.

"_Initiating reset sequence_…" a computerized voice announced.

The pain distracted Ben enough to not hear the announcement nor the triangular green hourglass of the Omnitrix turning into a deep blue.

When he finally opened his green eyes, he noticed that he was laying in a mountainous area, with almost no vegetation present at all. However, what he did see surprised him.

A blonde girl with two long braids of hair was fighting a girl who was wearing pink with what appeared to be rabbit ears coming from the top of her head. The blonde was swinging a sword with amateurish proficiency, however the other girl made no effort at all to avoid the weapon. The tip of the sword cut through the rabbit-eared woman's body with great ease, as if she was made of butter. The blonde gasped upon seeing her opponent laugh haughtily as her wounds healed at an extremely fast pace.

"You can't kill me with such weapons," the rabbit girl boasted before holding up her arm, which transformed into a translucent pink blade. She swung the blade at the blonde several times, who attempted to evade, only enough to only get multiple cuts on various areas of her body, mainly on the exposed areas of her legs and face.

That was enough for the young spectator to identify who was the villain. He held up his arm that brandished the Omnitrix and looked at the raised green screen that showed the silhouette of the different aliens he could turn into.

"I think this is a job for Heatblast!" Ben said as he slammed his hand down upon the raised cylinder, pushing it back into the device.

Within a flash of green light, stood a small pudgy green creature that vaguely resembled a rodent, and not a taller being who with a flaming head.

"Aw man! Upchuck?!" the transformed Ben cried out in annoyance. "Well, at least it isn't Grey Matter."

The alien looked around and smiled slightly as he saw several large boulders laying near him. He opened his mouth, causing four long adhesive tongues to stretch out like a frog's. The flexible appendages wrapped around one of the boulders and began to retract, dragging the giant rock along.

Upchuck's mouth stretched to accommodate the inanimate object before swallowing it. The alien's eyes widened slightly as his taste buds lit up in enjoyment.

"Wow… that was actually delicious," he commented before his pot belly grew in size, meanwhile glowing from within.

Taking a deep breath, the Gourmand regurgitated a glowing green projectile, launching it towards the rabbit-eared girl while belching loudly.

The two combatants, who were unaware of the spectator, were stupefied from the blech before one of them was caught in a small explosion, becoming shrouded within a cloud of dust.

* * *

Leina Vance, the blonde, was dumbfounded at what just happened. She only wore only a silver breastplate in which her breasts threatened to spill out, and a gauntlet that covered the majority of her left arm, stopping a bit above the elbow. Her right arm was covered in many brown belts while grasping the sword that she used. Her bottoms were only of a black thong with a red and blue decorative cloth hanging in the front from the bottom of the breastplate. Completing the outfit were the metal boots that covered her legs, only stopping mid-thigh. To an adult, she was very alluring, especially with her attire, but no such thoughts came through Upchuck's mind.

A pudgy creature ran as fast as he could towards Leina. The woman had never seen such a creature before, even considering it to be somewhat cute.

"Hey, are you okay there, lady?" it asked upon stopping.

The Vance heir was taken back by what she heard.

"What in the name of the Gods are you?" she asked.

"The name is Upchuck. I'm just your everyday superhero," the creature announced smugly with a smirk. "I saw you being attacked by that weird rabbit-eared girl, so I decided to save you."

Leina blinked in confusion at what it said. However before she got the chance to speak up, two sprays of white acid came out of the dust cloud, one towards her with the other aimed for the pudgy Upchuck. Leina crouched to evade while the creature ran as fast as possible, only narrowly missing the stream.

"I have never seen a demon such as yourself," Melona spoke to Upchuck as she walked out of the makeshift smokescreen. "But still, both of you are naive, letting your guards down like that."

Leina gritted her teeth while raising her sword while Upchuck turned towards an outcrop of stone. Melona watched closely as the mysterious creature opened its mouth to launch four tongues towards the protruding stones, each one wrapping around one before pulling it into its mouth. However, she immediately turned her right hand into a sword to parry Leina's attack.

"What did you say about letting one's guard down, monster?" the blonde remarked.

Melona's eyes narrowed while gritting her teeth in fury.

"How dare you call me a monster, you lowly little-" she screamed before three small projectiles interrupted her , exploding upon colliding with her body. A black smoke cloud was formed from the fourth projectile.

"Bull's-eye!" Upchuck cried out proudly as he smirked. "Exploding barf always works!"

Leina involuntarily grimaced upon hearing the pudgy being's comment.

"I can't believe there's a demon that's so disgusting, but deceptively dangerous," Melona's voice said as the smoke cleared.

What Upchuck saw shocked him.

The entire right side of her head was missing completely, while her left arm was missing from the shoulder down. But what the alien hero couldn't help but look at was the large gaping hole in her upper torso. He couldn't grasp what he was seeing. He didn't mean to cause such injuries, but he also never expected the pink girl to not only survive, but act like it was nothing to have such normally lethal wounds.

Melona smirked the best as she could as her body began to turn into a pile of pink slime.

"I think I should be on my way, this is quite an interesting development… _She_ would definitely will be interested in this," she said before finishing her transformation.

"Yeah, you better run!" Upchuck taunted before the Omnitrix began to flash red several times, signaling the time out.

"I won't let you leave with your life!" Leina cried out before swinging her sword one last time.

The tip of the blade connected with the rock as the slime launched itself into the air, momentarily brushing against the Omnitrix, in which the hourglass turned yellow for a moment.

Leina watched the slime retreat into a crevice before noticing a flash of green light from the corner of her eye. She turned to see a young boy wearing unusual clothing standing in the place of the pudgy creature called Upchuck.

"What are you doing here, young boy?" she asked. "Have you seen a peculiar demon that called himself Upchuck?"

Ben frowned a bit at Leina calling Upchuck a demon.

"Hey, not cool! I was Upchuck just a moment ago!" he said in annoyance.

Leina's eyes widened at this. Her mind jumped to a conclusion based on what he just mentioned.

"Prepare yourself demon. You will not defeat me so easily," she warned while holding her sword up again.

"Hey, can't we just talk about this?" Ben asked in fear while reaching for the Omnitrix, trying to get it to activate again. However, the stupid watch had other ideas.

His answer came in the form of the sword being swung at him.

Left with little choice, the young hero was forced to run for his life, chased by the tired blonde. Leina swung at Ben several times before her fatigue took its toll on her body. She began to slow down while panting heavily.

"Who…was that… boy?" she asked in between gasps as she came to a stop. Her eyes focused on the brunette as he kept on running without taking a moment to look over his shoulder.

* * *

Three days passed, and Ben was beyond his limits at this point.

He was wandering in a forest, his stomach growling loudly in protest while his throat felt like sandpaper. He had very little sleep, due to having to keep a careful eye out for any animals. His encounter with a bizarre tentacle monster taught him that. Worst of all, he just narrowly escaped an angry mob who attempted to kill him.

His t-shirt was covered in stains of different types and full of holes of various sizes, barely holding on. His pants were in a similar state, but managed to keep him decent.

"Why do they hate me so much?" he asked himself weakly.

He looked down at his left arm, which had a long red line across his forearm, blood oozing out of the fresh wound slowly, some dripping onto the side of the Omnitrix. It wasn't deep enough to be life threatening, but it did add further stress to the already exhausted child.

The wound came from the man he rescued from a pack of wolves as Wildmutt, but when he approached him, the Omnitrix timed out, scaring the man as he repeatedly cried out "demon" hysterically. He pulled out a knife and tackled Ben to the ground. The man swung the knife, cutting into his savior's arm as it was raised to shield himself from the weapon.

When some villagers came, they pried the man off him. However, when he said that the boy was a shape-shifting demon, everything went bad really fast.

The cut on his arm was not the only wound that was inflicted upon him. Ben attempted to be the hero for the past few days, but no matter what, the same thing happened to him. People saw him as a monster, or rather, a demon and not a hero as he hoped. Bruises covered his chest from a beating after thwarting a caravan robbery by bandits, a black eye from a rock thrown by a child the same age as himself that he saved from a mugging,

When he entered a village as just himself, and asked for food and water, the merchants just ignored him, seeing him as only a homeless beggar. He was forced to flee after transforming into Four Arms to apprehend a thief.

He knew that he was in an unfamiliar place, as he was mortified to learn that there was no television, cars, video games, and the one thing that shook him to the core, no Sumo Slammers.

Ben's eyesight began to blur as the fatigue began to overtake his weakened body. He slumped to his knees while trying hard to remain awake.

"Grandpa… Gwen… somebody… help!" he cried out before he collapsed to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness.

The last thing he could make out was the sound of footsteps coming towards him before succumbing to his fatigue.

* * *

Airi sighed as the last man fell to her scythe, joining the collection of corpses that littered the ground.

"To think that humans are capable of such malice towards a young child," she said in a calm manner, even though her face showed her disgust towards the mob she had just slain.

The wraith who was dressed in a French maid outfit was sent to expand her mistress' domain by transforming forests into swamps. She stopped when she saw a young brown-haired boy no older than eleven running from a group of men who were brandishing swords and other weapons.

"I was saving him! Why don't you believe me!?" he had cried out as he looked over his shoulder.

Although she often killed people on orders, Airi was not one who enjoyed the act. She would prefer to avoid taking a life if it wasn't necessary. This was not carried over to when she needed to feed. Whenever it came to her draining the life energy of another, she enjoyed it greatly, especially when it is from a young maiden. The mouth was the easiest method of extracting one's life energy, especially through a kiss. It was through this action that she earned her title as the Infernal Temptress.

She then remembered Melona reporting of an unusual and powerful demon who could take on the form of a young child with green eyes and brown hair. He also was said to wear clothing that was of an unusual style not found anywhere on Gainos.

The boy who was fleeing for his life matched the description perfectly. The Infernal Temptress had orders from her mistress to secure him as soon as possible, by any means necessary. They were secondary, but she was told to act upon them immediately should she encounter him.

Airi had made swift work of the bloodthirsty mob without alerting the boy. She would've let them live if she was certain that they weren't so determined to kill the boy. That and the fact that the supposed demon was obviously at his limits.

Once she knew that all the men were dead, she began to walk in the direction of where the boy ran. She knew that he couldn't have gotten very far in his current state. It was not imperative to have the boy be alive, as her mistress was a highly skilled necromancer, therefore she could just simply resurrect him.

However, Airi concluded that it would be better to bring him in alive, should he be a child. Then perhaps she could raise him, mold him to be of use for her mistress as he matured. The Swamp Witch usually considered little use for children, but Melona's report sparked her interest.

She walked for several minutes before she caught up to the boy, who she saw slump to his knees, followed by him call out for his grandfather and some person named Gwen, then collapsing soon after.

Airi slowly walked towards him, being cautious should any of the people he called out to were nearby. When she felt certain that there was no one else around, she picked up speed and knelt beside the boy before gently rolling him onto his back.

She was taken aback by the bruises and wounds that covered his body, with the most concerning be the cut on his arm. She knew that even impoverished war orphans were in much better shape than the boy was.

The wraith grasped her skirt before tearing off a long strip of fabric from it. She then began to wrap it around the boy's arm, using it as a makeshift bandage. As she tended to him, the torn portion of her skirt began to restore itself, generating new fabric to replace the missing amount.

Once she finished, the maid carefully picked the boy up and carried him in her arms, taking him to a safer place should more people come after him.

* * *

Ben awoke to the sound of fire. He groaned slightly as he came around. He slowly opened his eyes and noticed the starry night sky. It took him a moment to recall what happened earlier, causing him to immediately scramble to his feet and look around.

"You can relax, you are not in any danger, young man," a voice said from behind him.

Ben turned around to see a girl with red hair tied up in twin tails and wearing a maid outfit sitting against a tree. The light of the fire illuminated her blue-green eyes, which showed no ill will towards him.

"Uhh, who are you?" Ben asked. "And why are you dressed like that?"

Airi smiled softly and shook her head a little.

"My name is Airi, and I wear this because this is in relation to my profession," she replied in a dignified manner.

"Your what?" Ben asked, confused by what she said.

"Never mind, may I ask who you are?" Airi inquired after releasing a soft sigh.

"Ben Tennyson," Ben replied as he sat down once again before his stomach growled again. "Umm, do you have any food?"

Airi nodded and pointed to the campfire, in which there were four cooked fish propped up nearby it.

"I figured you will be hungry, Ben. We are also near a river if you require a drink."

Ben's eyes lit up in joy as a large grin formed on his face.

"You know, you're actually the first person who's actually been nice to me since I wound up here," he admitted .

Airi's eyes widened in surprise at what she just heard. She was feared and despised by many as the Infernal Temptress, the most devout servant of the infamous Swamp Witch, who even most demons were wary towards. She was used to the negative feelings that came with her nefarious reputation, having to experience it on a constant basis.

Never in her dreams she would be called "nice" by anyone. Either this child was naive, or he was not native to the continent, coming from a distant land that was beyond even Hinomoto. Somewhere where tales of her mistress' villainy haven't yet reached.

"Helloo~. Anyone home?" Ben asked while waving a hand in front of Airi's face.

The wraith's train of thought stopped as she came back to her senses.

"Oh, sorry, I… don't hear anyone saying that about me much," she explained calmly.

"Can't blame ya there, I don't get these people," Ben said before going into a small rant. "I mean, I help people out, save their lives, and all I get in return is them calling me a 'demon' while they try to kill me! How stupid can these people be?!"

Airi closed her eyes and smiled slightly. She could actually relate to the brunette's frustrations slightly. He was alone, and obviously troubled by how others were treating him, as if this never happened to him before.

"I mean, you don't even have Sumo Slammers here for crying out loud!" Ben continued. "I can deal being without TV for a while, but no video games?! What's up with this place?!"

The twin-tailed girl blinked in confusion as she listened to the child as he spoke of things that she was completely clueless about. However when she gave a quick glance to the fire, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Umm. I don't mean to interrupt you Ben, but I think you should start eating before the fish get burnt," she said while pointing to the skewered fish.

Ben panicked and grabbed one of the now smoking fish hastily, only to yelp in pain, retracting his hand from the searing heat that radiated from the flames. The wraith smiled in amusement as Ben repeatedly attempted to grab the fish, only for the heat to foil him every time. She took notice of the Omnitrix as the hourglass emblem within the center of it turning from a rich scarlet to a light green.

"Excuse me, but what is that armband you are wearing?" she inquired out of curiosity. "I have never seen such a thing before."

Ben stopped to look at the Omnitrix before raising his arm to show the device off.

"This is the Omnitrix, and with it, I can become a superhero," he boasted as a proud smile formed on his face.

"Superhero? I never heard of that term before," Airi said while raising an eyebrow.

Ben's face faltered significantly upon hearing that. "Are you kidding me?" he asked in disbelief. "Are you saying you've never heard that word before?!"

"I am not," the wraith replied bluntly.

Ben groaned and placed a hand against his face. "I can't believe this is happening," he muttered incredulously.

* * *

**Hello everyone, and thank you for taking the time to check out this story. This was done in response to a challenge issued by fellow author, Bigby the Big Bad Wolf, and when I saw it, I just had to jump at the opportunity as soon as I could.**

**I know for those who've read a lot of the Queen's Blade fanfics are aware of the general "outline" for most plots, which involves a male protagonist being sent into the QB universe through some supernatural means, save the world and later down the road, a harem is formed.**

**As for Ben 10 Crossovers, most of them involve Ben being a teenager. It's understandable, as it's much easier to work with Ben that way, especially for ones with romance involved. That and he has more aliens to choose from.**

**Well, I am one who likes going against the norm. It's fun and challenging to do things people don't tend to expect in fanfiction. I know some of you may have read my other works, like Kamen Sentai Rideranger or the Incursio Votum series, may have a better understanding of what I am talking about.**

**Before I continue, I want to point out that some of the ideas I've used, like having Ben be younger, came from a suggestion by Pyromania101, and I would like to thank him for that and for his assistance as a beta. I wouldn't have gotten this far so soon without his contribution. Also, I'd like to thank Bigby for allowing me to take on this challenge.**

**First off, there is going to be no romance in this story. That also means no harem. However, in keeping in spirit of Queen's Blade, expect some Yuri (Lesbian) scenes in the future and some fan service, but no lemons.**

**Then there's the Omnitrix resetting. Even though I'm having Ben be eleven years old, don't expect me to use aliens that appear in Omniverse like Feedback. I'm only going to use ones who wouldn't be seen as overpowered, like Upchuck.**

**As for the plot, my lips are sealed on that. But I will tell you that the story is set during the original Queen's Blade storyline, before Rebellion. That and just expect a lot of fight scenes and chaos that only Ben can create.**

**As for updates, I wouldn't advise you to have high expectations for me doing it on a scheduled basis. As with many other Authors here, I too suffer from what is known as Real Life… That and juggling between seven other stories I'm currently working on, I got a lot on my plate. I don't think I've bitten off more than I can chew, so I'll try to update this on a monthly basis.**

**Well, I could keep blabbering on for a while, but I think now's a good point to stop for now.**

**If you have the time, please leave a review with some feedback, suggestions or constructive criticism that you may have. Anonymous reviews are acceptable, just please give a name that I can identify you by when I give credit for any ideas. Flames shall be ignored, or deleted.**


	2. Loss and Gain

**Disclaimer by Rath: LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING READERS OF THE TROUBLES OF A MISPLACED HERO! BLAZORNA AKA KAMEN RIDER THORN DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO BEN 10, OR QUEEN'S BLADE! HE IS ONLY DOING IT FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND NOT FOR PROFIT. THE ONLY THING HE CAN CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF IS A NEW FORM YOU WON'T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE! IF ANYONE OF YOU TRY TO SAY OTHERWISE, RATH WILL PERSONALLY FIND YOU DOWN, KICK YOUR BUTT, AND THEN FIND YOU ONCE MORE TO DO IT AGAIN. ALL WITHIN THIRTY SECONDS! YOU GOT IT PUNK?!**

* * *

**Loss and Gain**

* * *

The flames of the campfire were nothing more than cinders when Ben finally fell asleep without any concern. The brunet rested up against the base of a tree, his left arm resting on the ground. Airi looked intently at the Omnitrix in curiosity. Whenever she was close to the bizarre accessory, she felt a constant and powerful wave of energy emanate from it. It was something she never experienced in her entire life, yet was vaguely similar to the life force she feasted upon frequently.

She came back to her senses upon feeling a presence within the back of her mind, beckoning her to revive the fire. The wraith obliged and threw in some tinder before gently blowing at the cinders to produce a flame. Although she could easily produce a new fire by striking together the igniters, the redhead didn't want to disturb her new companion's rest, instead opting for a quieter approach.

A soft crackle filled the air as the kindle was caught aflame, prompting Airi to add several pieces of firewood to let the fire grow in strength. The flames danced as they burned, once again lighting up the night. The fire then swelled in size as features of a woman's face appeared within it.

"Mistress, I await for your command," the maid said in a whisper while lowering down onto one knee.

Silence filled the air except for the crackling of the fire. Airi was silent, listening to a voice only she could hear. Her eyes widened slightly before she opened her mouth to speak.

"I know I am speaking out of turn, but I believe Ben will be of greater use to you alive. Yes, I can confirm that he is a child, but he wields a peculiar armband that radiates a power I have never encountered before. Perhaps that is what grants him the ability to shape shift," the wraith explained before lowering her head in humility.

The flames rose up, becoming scarlet as the crackling became more constant as Airi became silent once again. After a few minutes, the flames calmed down slightly and returned to normal. The Infernal Temptress nodded on occasion before raising her head up as a look of confusion was now present on her face.

"I shall take full responsibility for him like you have said, but I do not understand the rest of it," she said.

A single loud crackle was her reply.

"I understand…" she said submissively. "Your word is absolute."

The fire crackled one last time before dying down, the face vanishing completely.

Airi looked over at Ben with a conflicted look on her face.

"I wonder I am to do now," she muttered before rising to her feet. "To not only enter the Tournament, but to also keep an eye on him…"

She heard Ben stir as he awoke, groaning softly as he moved.

"Sorry Ben, did I awake you?" the wraith asked while turning around to face the adolescent.

"It's fine," Ben replied before yawning briefly. " Who were you talking to?"

The maid bit her lip slightly, trying to figure out an excuse of some kind. She was instructed by her mistress to keep Ben in the dark about her affiliation until he was deemed useful.

"I wasn't. I was only thinking out loud to myself," she replied while giving Ben a soft smile.

Ben nodded slightly before closing his eyes and yawning.

"Okay… I'm going back to sleep," he said before he drifted off once more.

* * *

Airi was fast asleep the next morning, leaning against a tree opposite of where Ben slept. She remained completely still as a shadow was cast over her, causing her to stir slightly.

The wraith slowly opened her eyes while looking right into a certain boy's face with a stern look.

"If you were attempting to scare me, you need more practice." she said flatly.

Ben only smiled before his right arm elongated, coiling itself around the now surprised wraith like an anaconda would with its prey.

"Damn you, Melona!" she cursed as the imposter Ben produced a pair of familiar pink ears.

"Got you," the slime said triumphantly as she returned to her true form.

Airi frowned before she began to focus on turning intangible. However, she was distracted as a glowing projectile collided against the Melona's face. The redhead looked in the direction of where the projectile came from.

"LET HER GO!" Upchuck screamed as he ran as fast as possible. The Perk Gourmand came from the foliage with his stomach glowing. He opened his mouth and launched his tongues towards a large fallen branch before devouring it.

Melona's face regenerated with a look of annoyance present on it. However, upon recognizing her attacker, a playful smile formed on her face.

"It's you, the little shape shifter boy," she said. "Never thought to run into you again so soon."

"Same here," the alien replied dryly before opening his mouth to expel another projectile at the slime.

Melona's upper portion of the body "melted" to dodge the projectile, having it collide into a tree with enough force to topple it over. Airi's eyes widened at the power that the small creature possessed. She knew not to underestimate an adversary, but the small pudgy creature that attacked Melona looked completely useless in battle.

"That trick won't work on me again, little boy. I want to see what else you can do," the slime said in a sultry manner.

Upchuck frowned before he heard the all too familiar beeping of the Omnitrix timing out as it flashed red. With a flash of light, the Perk Gourmand turned back to human.

"Aww man…Stupid watch!" Ben complained while looking at his arms with a surprised look on his face. "I can't believe this is happening…"

Melona blinked in surprise at the unexpected transformation before a small smirk formed.

"Are you trying to throw me off guard, or do you not have any control over your transformation?" she asked mockingly. "Either way, it's pathetic."

Melona held out her hand as it transformed into a blade. However, before she had a chance to strike, the curved steel blade of a scythe was imbedded slightly against the side of Melona's neck as its owner gave her a threatening glare from the opposite flank.

"I will not allow you to bring any harm to Ben, Melona," Airi spoke coldly as she applied more pressure, digging the blade deeper.

Melona smiled in a mischievous way as she looked over at the wraith.

"Oooh, so he's your boyfriend?" she teased. "Or is he your little toy?"

"Don't push your luck, monster," Airi said.

All traces of mischief vanished as Melona's face contorted to one of shock.

"A… A monster?!" she said as her tone and face slowly became one of rage. "I am not a monster. I thought you were better than that, Airi. You are just like the rest of the pathetic humans."

"Hey! I am not pathetic!" Ben interjected in anger.

Melona's eyes widened slightly before furrowing a bit.

"A human with shape shifting abilities? Don't make me laugh. No plain human can go through such a drastic transformation at will," she spat. "Not even—HEY!"

Melona's head slumped to the ground before transforming into pink ooze and rejoining the body as a new one grew in place.

"That's it! I don't care what happens, you're dead!" she screamed before lashing an arm out against Airi.

The wraith leaped back to avoid the first strike while glaring directly at Melona in the eyes. She swung her scythe to sever any appendages that were produced by the Protean Assassin. However, every lost limb simply turned into ooze and moved back towards the main body.

Ben hastily messed with the watch, doing everything possible to speed up the recharge time so he could transform again. He occasionally looked up to check on Airi as she fended off Melona. Both were at a stalemate, neither gaining or losing ground.

"Come on…" he pleaded to the Omnitrix while twisting the dial that surrounded the screen.

A beep made Ben smile as he saw the red hourglass symbol turn green. The screen then rose as the hourglass turned into a rectangle, revealing a silhouette of Upchuck.

"YES!" the brunet cried out in joy as he began cycling through his list of possible transformations. After several turns, Ben's eyes widened in horror.

"Where are they?" He cycled through once more as blood drained from his face.

He only saw six options, five of which are familiar to him with one new one.

No Heatblast…

Cannonbolt went AWOL…

Diamondhead was missing…

No XLR8…

No Grey Matter…

No Way Big…

The three aliens he acquired from Ghostfreak's minions were gone.

Not even Eon's form was present.

None of his familiar aliens he still had could defeat Melona. Upchuck stood the best chance, but couldn't deal any real damage to keep her down.

He was almost out of options. However, Ben recalled seeing something unusual. He quickly went to the unfamiliar silhouette which looked like a human with rabbit ears.

"I got nothing else to lose," he said in disappointment before slamming his hand down upon the protruding screen, activating the Omnitrix.

Ben's skin began to act like slime as his clothes and the Omnitrix sunk into it. Ben's hair transitioned from a dark brown to a rich green that matched the Omnitrix's shade. His hair elongated as they became spiky as they protruded in different directions as a pair of translucent green rabbit ears emerged from the top of his head with the bangs partially covering his right eye .

A black tank top with two thick vertical white lines emerged from the skin with black shorts that were slightly loose around the legs. The shorts were held up by a black belt with the Omnitrix acting as a belt buckle. His feet became a puddle of green slime as the skin returned to normal while adopting a slight green tint.

The final change was his eyes as his pupils twisted into an equal length cross while the pupils became a brilliant scarlet while adjusting to match the pupils' new shape.

The transformed Ben swung one of his arms as it stretched out, becoming a whip. The weapon lashed the unsuspecting Melona against her back.

The Slime ceased her attack to focus her attention upon Ben. Airi paused as well, surprised to see Ben taking on a completely different form. His new look still looked like that of a boy his age, but had a slightly sinister look in his face.

"I got this Airi," the green slime replied as his arm returned to its original shape.

Melona smirked before she stretched an arm towards Ben while it transformed into a needle. The green haired boy briefly hesitated, not sure what to do. However, he acted too late to duck as the needle went straight through the head.

"One down. While I admit that he had impressive shape shifting talents, he can never be me," Melona boasted.

The green slime only smirked.

"I see… so this guy came from you," Ben said as his body began to transform into a light green ooze with rabbit ears from a slight protrusion that resembled a head.

Melona's eyes widened in shock as the blob went down and crawled over towards Airi. The wraith looked up and smirked a little.

"It appears that you're no longer the only one," she commented.

"No… I am superior to humans! He can't become me!" she denied

The green slime quivered slightly before rising up, taking on a new form. Melona gritted her teeth upon seeing Ben in her exact image with a smug look on his face.

"Changing shapes and using my arms as weapons? I love this form!" Ben cried out in the pink slime's voice. "I am definitely calling this one Shiftlash."

Melona screamed in anger before releasing two streams of acid towards Shiftlash. The green slime ducked to avoid one of the streams, while the other connected with the top of the left ear.

"AGGHH!" the transformed Ben cried out in pain as the acid began to dissolve the portion of the ear. He shook his ear to rid himself of the acid before he glared back at the now smiling Melona.

"I don't know why, but that is so wrong…" he muttered before thinking quietly, _If this new form really came from her, then I can do the same thing. Do I really have to do it exactly like her though?_

Shiftlash grinned as an idea came to mind. He held out his right hand as it began to change shape, the fingers fusing with each other into what resembled a cannon. He aimed it at Melona.

"Ben, what are you doing?" Airi asked as she stepped back from the others, sensing that something was going to happen.

"FIRE!" he cried out before a sphere of green slime was launched from the cannon, flying straight towards Melona.

The pink slime morphed her hand into a sword and used it to slice at the sphere in half with a frown, however, this was exactly what Shiftlash wanted. As the halves of the slime ball separated, its contents were freed, splashing across Melona's body. Airi couldn't help but comment on the resourcefulness that Ben had displayed.

The pink slime screamed in pain as the acid burned away at her. She gritted her teeth as she expelled the parts that were dissolving.

"Damn you, damn you, DAMN YOU!" she screamed before firing her own acid at her adversary.

Shiftlash dove to the left, avoiding the majority of the jets of milky white acid, but his left hand was not as lucky. He screamed as the appendage melted away. He landed onto his side while grasping his injured limb, whimpering in response to the excruciating pain he still felt.

"Hmph… you're one annoying kid…" Melona said while glaring at him,preparing to finish him off.

However, a skull made out of violet fire came from her left and collided with the slime, knocking her off balance.

"Damn it Airi, stay out of this!" Melona cursed while looking over at the wraith as dozens of violet balls of flames floated around her.

"I thought you were going to kill both of us." Airi recalled while readying her scythe. "Or are you only after Ben?"

Melona scoffed before preparing to fight the wraith. However, this never meant to be.

Without any form of warning, the slime began wincing in pain as some invisible force was applying pressure to her. She held a hand up to her forehead while looking over at the pair.

"Damn it… Mark my words Airi. Both you and your little brat are going to be dead the next time we meet," she vowed as her body began to turn into a puddle of slime. Her eyes were focused upon Airi and were filled with rage.

"So be it, Melona," Airi said while looking back at Melona with a stoic face. "I will not let you hurt Ben again…"

Melona didn't say another word as she retreated into the forest, slipping underneath the underbrush. As the will-o-wisps and scythe both dismissed into thin air, Airi kept a close eye at where the slime retreated towards before turning her attention towards Shiftlash, who was now sitting upright and looking at his left hand, which had regenerated. He looked up at the wraith and smiled.

"Wow… Shiftlash is so awesome. I didn't think that I could regrow my hand!" he cried out in excitement.

"You are indeed a copy of Melona in almost every way outside of appearance," Airi commented as she knelt in front of him. "You are also quite skilled for one your age, not many people could hurt her like you did. Even I would have great difficulty against a demon like her."

Shiftlash nodded as he smiled smugly as the Omnitrix began blinking red. With a flash of light, the slime was back to his original form. Ben's eyes widened as he notice something that was very unusual.

"What's with your clothes?!" he cried out incredulously. "They're disappearing!"

The wraith looked down and blushed as her maid outfit was fading away into thin air, exposing her white underwear to the young boy.

"Turn around this instant!" she ordered while covering herself the best she could with her arms.

His brain frazzled, Ben complied and turned away, not sure what to do.

_I must be low on life force_, she thought. _I still have more than enough to maintain my physical body, but not enough to be dressed… I do not want to corrupt Ben's innocence anymore if I can avoid it… there isn't anyone around that I can take some from. Except for Ben…_

Airi bit her lip slightly, mentally debating on what to do. She didn't want to risk taking all of his life force, as he could easily die if he did not have enough. But she also didn't want to pervert the boy either by wearing only her undergarments while in his presence.

She weighed the options and came to a conclusion. She approached Ben slowly and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ben, I'm going to do something that will make you very sleepy, but don't worry, I will not let you be hurt," she warned the boy.

She closed her eyes while lowering her head close to Ben's shoulder. She opened her mouth and began to draw upon Ben's life energy very slowly, taking great restraint in not taking too much. She opened an eye to check on Ben's current state. His eyes began to droop while he yawned slightly.

Airi was surprised at how Ben's life force tasted. It was a lot smoother than she expected. It was almost like a woman's due to his innocence, but had a slight roughness found in one who fought a lot, like a warrior. It wasn't the best, but was far more enjoyable than she anticipated.

The wraith stopped when she felt Ben's body slump against her as he groaned softly, succumbing to the fatigue that came from his life force being drained. She held her breath as she gently pressed her fingers underneath the brunet's chin to check for a pulse. The maid stopped when she heard Ben mutter in his sleep, ushering her to breathe a sigh of relief.

Airi looked down as she saw her maid outfit beginning to rematerialize, telling her she had absorbed the required amount necessary. Satisfied, the wraith rose to her feet while picking up the slumbering Ben.

"You're quite a child, Ben." she said as she began walking away.

* * *

Ben frowned as he and Airi hid from within the trees outside of the castle walls of a small town. It had been four hours after the fight with Melona.

"And exactly why can't we just walk right in like everyone else?" he asked in annoyance.

"Look over at that board posted nearby the gate. There's wanted posters for the both of us," Airi replied while pointing towards the mentioned wooden bulletin board .

Two different faded posters with tattered edges each showed sketches of Ben and Airi's faces. Underneath the pictures were an reward amount as well as their names, or rather titles. Underneath Airi's was "The Infernal Temptress", while beneath Ben's exaggeratedly sinister face was " The Deceiving Youth."

"Deceiving Youth?" Ben asked in confusion while squinting his eyes to read from a distance. "What's with that lame title?"

"It most likely because of your ability to change forms. Most people fear demons, and for good reason. Most would consume humans if given the chance. Because you can turn into forms that no one has ever seen before, it is natural that one would suspect you for being one of them," the wraith explained.

"Man… I wouldn't mind that if they didn't always try to kill me every time I saved them," Ben muttered.

"It can't be helped. The same fear also makes it troublesome for some half-demons too," Airi added.

Ben frowned slightly. "I don't care, they should just let me through regardless," he muttered before his face lit up as an idea came into mind.

Airi looked at Ben as he activated the Omnitrix, turning the dial to show Shiftlash's silhouette.

"What are you up to Ben?" she asked. "Better not be thinking of fighting your way in."

Ben smirked as he slammed his fist down upon the raised screen, initiating the transformation. A flash of green light engulfed him briefly, and when it vanished, it revealed the form Ben transformed into.

"Aww man… Ditto?!" the small black and white alien cried out in annoyance. "Stupid watch…"

"I see you do not have full control over your transformations…" Airi pointed out flatly.

"It's not my fault, it's the Omnitrix that does this to me!" Ditto protested.

"I see…" Airi said as she realized something important. "I have yet to ask, but what is the Omnitrix exactly?"

"I'll tell you when we get over the wall," Ditto replied before he ran over away from the gate.

Airi blinked in confusion before following the transformed boy. As he vanished from view after turning around a corner, the maid began to hear a conversation of multiple voices that were exactly the same.

"Hey, hold still!" one voice cried out.

"But my butt's itchy!" another protested. "You should feel it as well!"

"Aggh! Can't we just focus on getting over the wall?" a third spoke in annoyance.

Then all of them spoke in unison.

"Hey Airi, pretty cool idea huh?"

When Airi turned around the corner, she was greeted by the sight of multiple clones of Ditto standing on top of one another, with the uppermost one being able to peer over if he wanted.

"Where did all these… cute duplicates come from?" she asked. "Can you use magic?"

The Ditto at the very bottom smirked and shook his head.

"Nah, it's really what I can do when I am Ditto. I can basically duplicate myself as many times as I want, though we all share the pain." he explained. "Nonetheless, pretty cool eh?"

"Very well, it looks like I don't have to worry about carrying you over the wall then," she said before walking up to the wall. Closing her eyes, her body began to become transparent as her clothes began to vanish. Before the Dittos could see something they shouldn't, the wraith walked right through the wall like it was not even there.

"HEY! That is SO not fair!" all the Dittos cried out in protest.

"How is it not fair exactly?" Airi asked as her head rose from the top on the other side, startling the top Ditto.

The tower of duplicates began to sway left and right, each one struggling to maintain their balance

"Woah! Careful guys!" one of the middle Dittos called out.

"ACK! Butt's itchier now! I can't ignore it anymore."

"NO! DON'T SCRATCH!"

With that, a simple itch toppled the mighty Swaying Tower of Ditto.

As he fell, the topmost Ditto couldn't help but notice a blue-haired angel that had disproportioned wings, the right significantly smaller than the left. She hovered in the air, looking right down at him with an amused smile on her face. She then saw Airi and panicked slightly, flying off before the wraith could notice her.

All the clones piled upon themselves, all groaning in their compiled and shared pain. Airi looked down and only shook her head, not even sure what to say.

* * *

Deep within the forest, at a small clearing, three robed figures stood in a circle.

"Let me get this straight, I am being hired simply to crush a little kid and take his stupid armband for you two?" the smallest of them, a female, recapped in a skeptical manner. "Man, you must be desperate."

The largest one, who was taller and bulkier than his comrade growled in anger.

"Are you mocking me, you insolent brat?" he questioned.

The smaller of the pair held his hand out in front of the muscular giant.

"Calm down, I should remind you that we are in a reality that isn't our own," he explained calmly. "She is not aware of your accomplishments back home."

"Remind me why I even agreed to help you in the first place, Eon?" the taller one asked.

Eon reached for his hood and pulled it down, revealing his piercing eyes through the violet visor of the helmet that he wore.

"Because this is where Ben Tennyson is," he explained calmly. "I, after all, brought him here so that the meddling Paradox wouldn't interfere with my plans. I know how much of a threat Ben is as well, hence why I enlisted your assistance amongst others that were thwarted by him."

The large cloaked figure fell silent as Eon turned to face the woman.

"Do we have an agreement?" he asked while offering his hand.

The woman nodded and took the helmeted man's hand.

"He better be as strong as you describe him to be, " she warned the pair before releasing her grip on Eon's hand. "Or else we will have a problem."

As she turned around and left, the cloak was lifted up by a gust of wind, partially revealing the tip of a green reptilian tail briefly before the fabric lowered again.

The pair remained silent as the woman vanished into the foliage of the forest, leaving them alone.

Eon turned to look at his associate.

"What do you think of her odds of succeeding?" he asked.

The giant reached for his hood and lowered it, revealing his intimidating red eyes and bald green skin with tentacles for a beard.

"She will fail. Tennyson will easily defeat her," Vilgax said bluntly.

Eon chuckled as he turned his attention back to the spot where the woman disappeared.

"Win or lose, she will affect his decisions that are coming up soon," he said. "Tennyson is going to learn about the consequences of his actions when he fights in this world."

Vilgax smirked a bit as he listened to Eon.

"I see… but there is a chance that it will do the opposite effect instead," he pointed out.

"I am well aware, which is why I have collaborated with the Queen," Eon spoke. "I convinced her that Tennyson is a threat to her."

"Very interesting, I never really considered going at Tennyson from multiple approaches like that," Vilgax said, slightly impressed with his associate's preparations.

"Yes, he is alone, and with many of this world already seeing him as a demon instead of a hero, he will have extreme difficulty trying to win allies with his usual methods. If we can get Tennyson to interfere with the Tournament, then his fate will be sealed," Eon added.

Vilgax smirked as he heard the last part.

"As long as I get the Omnitrix and finish off Tennyson personally," he said before pulling up the hood again. He turned around and walked away.

While Vilgax turned his back to Eon, the time-traveling alien pulled out a purple wristwatch like device.

"I guarantee it, as my goals differ from your own," he reassured the intergalactic conqueror while looking at the inactive device that he grasped. "A completely different objective altogether."

Eon smirked behind his helmet, already knowing that his plans were in full motion. All that was left was to wait.

* * *

**Agghh… my frickin' body still aches after coming back home from AniMinni. Never thought a single toe could cramp up like that… **

**Oh,, nice to see you all again. Sorry about my whining, but I had went to an anime convention for the very first time, so some of you can understand how I'm feeling right now. Oww…**

**First off, thanks everyone for all the favorites, alerts, and reviews! I never expected such a response for this story in years. **

**Once again, I've done the unexpected. Okay, so some of it is familiar ground for some of you guys, but still, I bet most of you expected Shiftlash to appear. **

**I am aware that in Ultimate Alien, Ben is incapable of acquiring DNA from beings from an alternate reality. But if I recall correctly, they didn't exactly have a physical body that he could scan from. However, keep in mind that in Queen's Blade, Demons can be flesh and blood like humans, as there are half-demons in the series. This is why Ben was able to acquire a form from Melona. **

**Now, onto perhaps the bigger topic, the number of forms Ben has. Remember what I said about not using the ones who are a bit overpowered for Queen's Blade? Well, there were far more than I could consider to be fair enough, the list included even ones you wouldn't expect, like Snare-oh ( or Benmummy for those who only seen the original series and not kept up with the rest of the franchise). This chapter definitely shortened the list of aliens you could expect to return. Here's a short list of the currently confirmed ones.**

**Four Arms, Ditto, Upchuck, and Wildmutt. **

**With Shiftlash, that makes it five out of six forms. Only one alien still remains a mystery. **

**For the record, I have in fact planned on giving Ben more forms from the very beginning. He can't be called Ben 10 with only six forms after all. Whether they will be canon forms or new ones like Shiftlash, that's the mystery. Only time will tell.**

**I am keeping my word of not including Omnitrix aliens from the future series in this story, but I never said I wasn't incorporating themes from those series. For what I have planned, just you wait and see. **

**Now, as for the possibility of sequels. I don't know yet if I should extend this story in a sequel. I can easily pair the UAF and/or Omniverse to Queen's Blade Rebellion. I don't have an ending yet for this story, so we'll see where the story takes us. **

**Going off topic, I am most curious to know if anyone of you readers are those who went to those fan fiction panels at AniMinni. If so, I'm very grateful you decided to check out this story. I also would love to hear your thoughts on this story, if you haven't already. Hope I didn't disappoint.**

**Looking at the reviews, I see a few of you wish to see Menace in this story with the idea of her wanting Ben for herself. I don't really get what you guys see in her. Yeah, she is likeable and attractive, but in my opinion, she's too naïve for my liking. She will appear, I guarantee that, but not until later in the story. **

**While I'm on the subject of appearances. I am most curious to know which Queen's Blade character you all want to see fight against Airi and Ben. This can extend into original characters who appears in the Spiral Chaos games like the cat girl, Aryutta Katz. **

**Keep in mind, I have not played the games, so any characters who only appear in the games will have personalities in the story based on what info I can find over the net, as the QB wiki refuses to post spoilers, therefore making it more difficult to be accurate with details. I can understand their reasons why, but why hold back info for the original series at this point when quite a bit of the stuff posted for Rebellion are HEAVY spoilers for the last part of the original?! THAT'S A FREAKING CONTRADICTION TO THEIR GOALS!**

**Okay, enough ranting for one day. If I kept going, I won't stop and would do spoilers myself. **

**Also, while I am very grateful for all the reviews you're giving me, I would greatly appreciate it if you keep them PG rated in content from now on. I fear I might need to bump the rating up just because of the reviews alone. I did promise to do fan service, but I never expected so many reviews containing stuff of that nature. If you have anything "citrus" in nature, please send it to me through a PM. **

**RANDOM TRIVIA TIME! "Brunette" is what you call a woman or girl specifically with dark brown hair while "brunet" refers to just somebody with dark or brown hair, males included. Common misconception for people to think that brunette applies to men as well, since they sound similar. (I think) I am guilty of doing just that until recently. **

**That should be good enough for this chapter. Wonder if I should rope in Pyro and Bigby into these end of chapter segments. Anyway, keep up the favorites, alerts, and most definitely sending in the reviews. If you do write one, PLEASE tell me what I'm doing right here. Just telling me it's a good story isn't enough for me sadly, though it does boost my morale a lot none the less. **

**Till next time!**


	3. The Robed Woman

**Disclaimer: You should know by now… If not, prepare for Rath.**

* * *

**The Robed Woman**

* * *

Ben sighed as he peered from behind a corner of a house, looking right at a group of men as they entered a tavern. The adolescent was told to wait for Airi as she went off to gather supplies for their upcoming journey. The redhead explained to him that they should head to the capital to figure out what is with Ben's situation. The brunet recollected what happened a while ago.

* * *

After giving up after several more attempts to scale the wall as Ditto, the brunet turned back and decided to take a break after Airi revealed to him her ability to fly. As he recuperated, he explained to the maid about his world. The wraith was surprised upon hearing some of the things he talked about were remarkably similar to some of the objects found in her world. There were vehicles that could propel themselves without any need for horses, which while was a extremely rare sight in Gainos, did exist, although they also levitated, which was not such a feature in Ben's reality. She made note of what Ben referred to as televisions, which worked just like the spheres the angels used to showcase fights for the Queen's Blade tournament.

After a while, Ben told Airi all that he understood about the Omnitrix, and how he used it to help people for good. She learned that it was supposed to be a tool to better understand different aliens by having them literally walk in their shoes, but a lot of different beings saw different, more sinister uses for it, leading to the device being so coveted. Every form Ben had was a different alien race, excluding Shiftlash. Airi was surprised to hear some of the forms that Ben used to have and their abilities. She was amazed upon hearing the abilities of some like Diamondhead and Heatblast. Each form he previously had gave him such a diversity of powers. Airi understood the appeal of why many wanted the Omnitrix for themselves.

She was slightly disturbed upon learning about the form Ben named Ghostfreak. She never expected there to be a physical being with abilities similar to her own, but what unnerved her was how he managed to escape the Omnitrix and what he did afterwards.

However, there was one form that Ben explained that he was glad to have gone that made Airi nervous. He never came up with a name for it, as he never used it after being forced to transform to it. He explained that the form had the power to control time, which made the wraith realize just how powerful Ben could become. But when he said that he couldn't really control the form, that was what disturbed her the most.

When Airi asked about Shiftlash, Ben explained of the Omnitrix being able to acquire DNA of beings that aren't catalogued in it. The wraith couldn't help but stare at the device as he told a tale of how he discovered the feature by accident.

* * *

_For a child to have such a powerful device in his possession, and not be swayed by its obvious allure…_ _If I reported this to my mistress, she would for certain want to secure Ben to obtain such a power that could potentially rival even the strongest God,_ Airi thought. _She would more than likely turn him into a puppet or a slave._

Airi had mixed feelings about what to do with Ben as she stood at the bar counter, waiting for the barmaid to finish serving some of the other patrons. The wraith was inside of a tavern a ways away from where Ben was, waiting for a moment to feed. As much as she was concerned for his safety, she knew Ben could hold his own after witnessing his fight with Melona.

She frowned as she saw a cloaked figure walk into the establishment, stopping at the front door to survey the patrons silently. The crowd fell silent as they turned their attention towards the newcomer.

"I'm looking for someone, has anyone seen the shape shifting demon who takes on the appearance of a brown haired boy?" the figure asked loudly, the voice suggesting that it was a girl. "The one known as the Deceiving Youth."

A wave of murmurs and whispers filled the air.

"You must be crazy to go after that guy. I heard he works for the damned Swamp Witch!" One of the customers spoke up in disbelief.

The cloaked girl walked up to the counter and smirked. Everyone fell silent as the girl stomped her foot down on the stone flooring, which gave way like it was nothing and creating a small crater as shards of jagged rock rose around the foot.

"I ain't no human, you prick," she warned the man while reaching for her hood.

Airi slinked into the crowd to avoid gaining the woman's attention after the display of power. The wraith couldn't risk letting the stranger find Ben, or lead her to him unintentionally. However, her efforts were for naught when the robed woman turned her attention towards her.

"Boy… you're definitely stupid or brave, coming to a public place like this, Airi the Infernal Temptress," she said.

The people around Airi immediately backed away in fear, leaving the wraith exposed in the open.

The cloaked figure walked towards her slowly. The wraith tried to figure out what race she was. She was too tall to be a dwarf, though she was apparently as strong as one. That fact alone drastically reduced the list to one potential suspect.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is also a bit unusual to see a Gal Monster in this kind of place," Airi spoke up. "Especially if you're Cerate."

The robed girl smirked as she reached for her hood. "You're not the airhead I pegged you to be," she said while pulling down the hood. "You are definitely correct."

Her blond hair shined in the sunlight that came through the entrance. Most of her hair reached the base of her neck while a very long thin ponytail came out from the back of her head, she wore a teal headdress that had a white horn protruding from the middle of the forehead area of it. Her skin was white and pale.

Around her neck was a necklace of pearl-like beads of a dull pink coloration. Her dull red eyes focused directly at the wraith.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Airi said dryly while glaring back at the Gal Monster. "Besides, what does a Gal Monster want with a child?"

Cerate smirked as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Because I was told by two certain people who Ben fought that he is very powerful for his age," she replied.

Airi's eyes widened upon hearing the Gal Monster mentioning Ben's name. The reaction didn't go unnoticed by the Gal Monster as she removed her cloak.

"Looks like you know of him," she said while tossing the cloak aside.

Cerate's outfit consisted of a white top that covered her modest sized breasts, with dull olive green stripes that ran vertically in the front of her top, gradually becoming thinner downwards. It was short, exposing her midriff and shoulders. Dark teal shoulder pads with a white trim were also present. Her arms were in detached olive green sleeves with armguards that matched the shoulder pads.

She wore a white miniskirt with a similar pattern as her top, with the stripes angled inwards and connecting with a trim of the same color around the bottom hem with small plates of armor that matched the shoulder pads style, located at the sides of her waist Her legs were donning stockings that reached mid-thigh with rings of beads near the hem and the ankles. The feet were within a pair of matching teal and olive green shoes that had a yellow end with white soles. Completing the outfit were a pair of hexagonal kneepads that matched the rest of her armor.

However the most defining feature was the blue green reptilian tail with a white underside that protruded from her lower back.

Cerate reached for behind her back to a piece of rolled up cloth with a large white spike protruding from the back towards the ground.

"To answer your first question, it's because I want to see how strong Ben really is," she said while undoing her cloth and extracting what it was carrying inside. "The guys who told me about him want his stupid armband. But I really don't give a damn what those pansies want. All that matters is to prove my power."

"I guess a fight is inevitable then," Airi said calmly while closing her eyes. The wraith noted that the Gal monster was young, probably no more than a year or two older than Ben.

Cerate simply nodded as she began to put on the armbands she pulled out. Both of them matched the rest of the armor, but both had large white horns fastened to them horizontally with the tips facing towards her. After finishing, the Gal Monster flicked her right arm, causing the horn that was longer than her own arm to turn, the tip pointing the opposite direction. She repeated the process with the smaller left horn, which was only half the length of the right. She then flexed both arms and returned the horns back to their original position.

"It's hard to find a worthy adversary to fight against," Cerate quipped. "I just can't pass up the chance to fight you."

The wraith frowned as she summoned her scythe. A fight was the last thing she wanted, but knowing Gal Monsters, they will not stop until they get what they want. It was best to get it out of the way.

"Let's take this outside," Airi said as he opened her eyes, her face becoming serious.

Cerate pounded a fist into her open palm as she smirked gleefully. "I agree. This place is stuffed full of stupid puny men after all."

Cerate's comment was the spark needed to light the metaphorical powder keg, resulting in an uproar of the men.

* * *

"That's it! I can't take it anymore!" Ben cried out as he raised his hands above his head. Boredom was getting the best of him. He waited for what he had to guess for twenty minutes, but he couldn't wait any longer. He felt like he had to move or else his head would fall off.

Without a second thought, he walked into the street and joined the crowd as they moved. Ben became lost in thought, trying to figure out what to do to pass the time. He walked a ways until bumping into someone, bring Ben back to reality.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," the person he bumped into apologized.

"It's alright," Ben replied before he looked at the person in the face.

It took a moment for both Ben and Leina to recognize each other. They both pointed at each other in surprise.

"You're the shape shifting demon!" Leina cried out.

"You're the crazy sword woman!" Ben shouted while trembling.

Leina sighed and shook her head slightly. "I am not lapsing in my sanity," she protested while frowning. "I am Leina Vance, the daughter of Count Vance."

Ben blinked in confusion as he looked at her skeptically, his fear starting to slowly ebb away. "Okay… are you going to try turning me into salami?" he asked.

The blonde shook her head. "No, I am not going to do so unless you force my hand," she said. "You are most unusual…"

"Well excuse me!" Ben retorted as he frowned. "I saved you from that goo girl and you thanked me by chasing after me with that sword of yours!"

Leina was taken aback by what the brunet said. "Wait… you were trying to save me from that monster?" she asked.

Ben nodded while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Yeah, I had no plans on hurting you back then," he confirmed. "I was just doing the right thing."

"You are the most peculiar demon I've ever met… most would rather eat humans than save them," Leina commented.

"Argh! Not this demon stuff again!" Ben complained while lowering his head. "How many times do I have to say that I'm a human?!"

A brief silence followed.

"I see that I made an error of judgment," Leina said apologetically before blushing slightly as her stomach growled. "If you are not busy, would you like to accompany me to get some food?"

Ben shrugged and looked at Leina. "Sure. Got nothing better to do anyway," he said casually.

* * *

Melona frowned as she walked through the front gate, transformed into a random human disguise. The slime was still perplexed about why Airi fought against her to protect Ben without explaining her reasons why.

_To think she was only following orders. That whipped ghost does everything to a "T,"_ she thought as she walked into an alley.

Her mistress briefed the slime on what she ordered Airi to do. The wraith was to not only participate in the Tournament, but was to also ensure the young boy's safety, with her life if necessary, until he was deemed disposable.

The slime was told to go find her other comrade, who has wandered off and was shirking her tasks once again. She wasn't thrilled about once again doing the same menial task that has been done countless times before.

Melona went into the alley and looked behind her for any potential spectators before starting to transform into her original form. However, she stopped upon noticing a man wearing a helmet speaking to who appeared to be a woman wearing a flashy red outfit with a peculiar violet staff with a red eye. The slime immediately spread her body against the wall while transforming to camouflage herself silently. She slowly oozed herself within hearing range of the pair.

"I shall give you some time to think it over, but I can guarantee that if you accept, you shall have untold power, not only to exact your revenge on that despicable Elina Vance, but surpass even the Swamp Witch herself," the man said to the woman. "I wish you both a good day."

Nervously, the woman went out of sight before a loud gasp was heard a moment later followed by noises that Melona had suspicions about.

The man turned and walked past Melona, turning his head slightly towards the wall while chuckling slightly before pulling the hood of his cloak up to conceal his face.

"I should return to the others and check on their progress. Albedo should be finished with the necessary calibrations," he muttered before walking out of the alleyway and into the crowd.

Melona reformed the upper portion of her body while protruding from the wall with a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Interesting… a man claiming to give powers that surpass even the hag's herself…" she muttered out loud. "It's not like Menace is going anywhere anytime soon, so I can just get her later."

The slime removed herself from the wall and transformed into a male disguise to follow the suspicious person.

* * *

Airi gritted her teeth as she rose to her feet while using her scythe as a support while her broken ribs healed. The wraith never expected the Gal Monster to be so formidable and relentless for her age. It also didn't help that Airi wasn't in peak condition at the start of the fight either. The pair were fighting for a period of time at this point, but it had been a stalemate for the whole fight.

Cerate was suited to fight close range, in which she had a slight advantage over the wraith. Although Airi could see the Gal Monster leaving herself wide open for counterattacks, the strength the blonde put into every attack was simply too much for her to ignore. A solid example of offense being the best defense.

The wraith also decided against summoning spirits to help attack, as she would just burn through the life energy she had even faster. Her endurance was her best asset in this fight, as she could quickly heal from most injuries the Gal Monster inflicted upon her. However, even recovering consumed her life energy.

Cerate was showing signs of being exhausted, but she kept pushing forward, determined to defeat her adversary. She lowered her head and charged forward, intending to impale the wraith with the horn protruding from the head covering.

Airi dove to her left, narrowly dodging the charging blonde as she crashed through the wall, creating a hole in the process.

"If that doesn't stop her… I don't know what will…" she muttered while once again getting up.

A bloodcurdling, bestial roar raged through the air before Cerate stepped through the wall she made.

"You really are getting on my nerves now, Marsh Wench! " she growled while clenching her fists. The horn on her right arm was broken in half, the broken end jagged and splintered. The horn on her head was cracked, threatening to break off at any moment. Her right shoulder pad was missing while her sleeves and stockings were ripped in many areas. Some blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth, but the blonde paid no attention to it.

The wraith rose while holding her scythe ready to attack. She couldn't afford to lose against Cerate in a place like this. She had to protect Ben, as were her orders.

Cerate charged forward, screaming defiantly as she leaped up into the air. The wraith saw her opportunity and took it without any hesitation. Airi crouched and spun the scythe in a circle and twisting it slightly, slamming the flat of the bladed end against the blonde's side. Her foe distracted by the blow, the wraith discarded her weapon and leaped up.

Colliding with the Gal monster, Airi wrapped her arms around the blonde's body before locking lips with her as they both landed on the ground harshly. Cerate's eyes widened as she felt something invade her mouth and her exhaustion began to overwhelm her. Her eyesight began to blur as her body began to feel extremely heavy.

_Damn it…_ The Gal Monster cursed in her mind before passing out as Airi feasted upon her life force.

The wraith held the kiss for a few more moments before breaking it, her clothes immediately regenerating from the influx of life energy that was drained from the Gal Monster. After such a fight, the wraith needed it to recover.

Airi gently set her adversary down on the ground. She remained silent for a moment to watch the blonde's body for any signs of movement. When she saw the girl's chest rise and lower slowly, the wraith knew she was still alive.

"She is very resilient… in that case, I should bring her along… I need to find out more about who told her about Ben…" she muttered before rising to her feet, looking at the crowd of spectators that grew during the fight. "The fight is over… there is nothing more to see here."

However, the wraith couldn't help but sense the presence of something demonic nearby. She turned her attention towards a woman with spiky, waist-length brown hair who had her back turned while carrying a purple staff in hand. The dress she wore was red that split into four tails with a flame design on the lower portion. Long dark blue feather like adornments were attached at the shoulders, further adding to the flamboyant look the dress had. The brunette wore purple elbow length gloves and matching stockings that were cut at the sides above the knees, making the woman even more alluring. The last article of clothing the wraith noted was the scarlet heels. The staff she carried was dark purple and the top looked like a swirl of tentacles with some stretching out, wrapping around the woman's arms slowly.

"That staff…" Airi said while frowning.

The redhead turned to look at the Gal Monster as she slept before sighing. She needed to meet up with Ben and to interrogate Cerate.

* * *

Ben belched loudly as he finished his bowl of beef stew while Leina grimaced slightly in response.

"Thanks for lunch, Leina," Ben said while patting his stomach in satisfaction.

"It is nothing. But still… from what you told me. It is the least I can do to make up for my prior behavior," the blonde said calmly before taking a sip of her drink. "If I hadn't assumed you to be an enemy, you might not have such misfortune happen."

Ben looked down at his left arm. The cut he had there had closed up, but at Airi's insistence, he kept his arm wrapped up as a precaution. The brunet began to wonder if it would leave a scar once fully healed. If so, how would he explain it to his parents. That was if he ever gotten to see his family again.

"Yeah, maybe," he replied halfheartedly while staring at his arm.

"Is something bothering you?" Leina asked as she looked at Ben in concern.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was thinking about my family…" Ben admitted.

Leina smiled a little bit as she briefly wondered how her family was doing. She did leave against her father's wishes after all in hopes to follow in her mother's footsteps. She hoped that her sisters would understand.

"I forgot to ask earlier, but how are you able to transform with that Om-something exactly?" she asked.

"It's called the Omnitrix. Besides, I don't know how this stupid watch works exactly… but basically, I press this button, turn the dial to who I want to become and then slam down on the raised part and then I change," Ben explained while showing Leina how he uses the Omnitrix to transform, using his hand to point and gesture as he spoke.

"Amazing… I never expected for such a device to be activated like that," Leina said in awe while looking at the Omnitrix.

Ben nodded as he smirked. His ego was slowly building by the minute. The older woman was nothing like what Ben expected. She was actually considerate and friendly towards him, although she looked like she'd believe anything he tell her. Ben felt it wouldn't been worth telling her a lie.

"So Leina, what brings you to this town?" he asked out of curiosity.

Leina smiled and looked at the boy.

"I am planning to enter the Queen's Blade," she replied. "This town was on my way towards the capital, where it is to be held. However, I think I might go on a detour to the forest where the Elves live in before hand. "

"Okay…" Ben said, not really understanding the appeal that was found in a forest. Wanting to change the subject before hearing a boring speech, he spoke the first thing that came to mind.

"Anyway, what's this Queen's Blade? A carnival of some kind?" he blurted out.

Leina blinked in slight surprise before nodding.

"That's right, you mentioned that you're not from here," she realized. "I guess I should tell you. The Queen's Blade is a fighting tournament held every four years to decide upon who is to rule all of Gainos."

Ben's eyes widened upon hearing that.

"Wait… you guys fight to see who rules?" he asked in surprise before a wide grin formed on his face. "That is so awesome!"

"I…guess it is…" Leina said, not fully understanding what Ben just said at the end.

"Maybe I should enter," the brunet contemplated. "With the Omnitrix, it'll be a cinch to win."

Leina shook her head and sighed.

"I'm sorry to say, but only women may compete," she said. "It has always been that way for a very long time. Besides, I have heard death is not uncommon in the Queen's Blade."

Ben immediately sulked upon hearing that.

"That's so not fair!" he muttered while crossing his arms in front of his chest and frowning. He was glad that Gwen was not with him, as she'd most definitely rub it in his face.

* * *

Eon walked through the crowd, ignoring the gazes some people gave him. He feigned ignorance as he was well aware that he was being followed. The Chronian turned and stopped, waiting for his stalker to follow. When he heard the foot steps, he held his hand out, halting the flow of time except for himself and the follower. Everyone that surrounded them froze in impossible poses.

"How may I help you?" he asked while turning around to look in the startled Melona, who was looking around her. "Normally I wouldn't let someone follow me like this. Then again, I have been waiting for a servant of the Swamp Witch to approach me. Somebody like yourself."

The slime girl focused her attention towards the cloaked man while reverting into her true form.

"So… you know who I am?" she asked skeptically. "But who are you?"

Eon nodded as he casually walked towards the slime.

"I am Eon, a traveler who has came from another reality to this one. I have mastery over the flow of time," he introduced himself calmly.

"You control time?" Melona asked in disbelief. "That's impossible. Not even the strongest demons, alchemists, or even angels can do such a feat."

Eon chuckled as he closed the distance between Melona and himself.

"I guess you didn't hear me clearly: I come from an alternate reality that is different from yours. Besides, how can you deny my powers when it is happening as we speak?"

Melona turned her attention towards one of the frozen people. The man's feet were floating off the ground, as another had a foot sticking out to trip him.

"You must have put me under an illusion," she said, still skeptical of Eon's claims.

The Chronian chuckled and grinned. "I know how humiliated you were when that brat Ben Tennyson became you," he said, intending to provoke the slime. "To think you were bested by a mere child."

Melona growled as she clenched her fists, turning her undivided attention towards Eon.

"How dare you…" she muttered venomously. "What are you trying to gain from pissing me off?"

"To have your mistress be aware that there are potential allies for her plans," Eon replied. "With Tennyson around, failure is the only guaranteed result. You know first hand how troublesome that child can be."

Melona calmed down slightly as she listened to him. The slime knew he had a valid point, as there were still many things that could go wrong. Tennyson proved he could be a great annoyance, but she couldn't comprehend exactly how he could stop the Swamp Witch. Even though she still didn't believe him, it was obvious he was someone who could be a potentially dangerous threat, due to him being a completely unknown variable.

"Alright… you have my attention. What do you want the hag to know exactly?" she asked while wrapping her arms in front of her chest.

Eon began to explain to Melona about a proposition he had that would benefit both parties. The Swamp Witch would gain access to a world where the Angels couldn't interfere, while Eon's party will be able to acquire new weapons and abilities if possible. Melona was most eager to agree when she was promised to be given a chance at Ben, with information about his forms, as well as their weaknesses. When Eon finished, he warned Melona to change into a human disguise again. The slime refused, still skeptical about his claims.

"Suit yourself. I will speak to you again soon," the Chronian said before walking away from Melona.

Melona learned at that moment that Eon was not lying when everything returned to normal, as a lot of people were looking at the slime girl incredulously.

"That woman… she appeared out of thin air!" One of the men said.

"Wait… those ears…the extra set of hands on her chest… That's the Protean Assassin! RUN!" Another cried out upon recognizing the pinkette.

Melona had no choice but to flee, as she was not in the mood for a fight. Besides, a certain witch would be most interested in hearing what the slime had to say.

* * *

Ben parted ways with Leina, each wishing the other luck. The brunet was in a good mood, finally being able to meet another person who he believed was trustworthy.

It took him a few minutes to locate it, but he finally found the spot he was to meet Airi. However, everything became black upon feeling something hard striking him hard in the back of the head.

"To think you've gotten such a high bounty, Tennyson," his assailant said while the boy's body slumped to the ground. "But you have something else that I'm interested in."

* * *

**I'm going to try keeping this stuff short and sweet from now on, as requested. **

**Some of you may notice that I had deleted some anon reviews, but allow me to explain. While I greatly encourage constructive criticisms, but I don't listen to flames disguised at them, especially ones that are greatly INACCURATE with info. A good example is that Melona is not made of acid, which contradicts a lot of official images involving her. For the sake of future readers from being discouraged by the false info, I deleted them. Besides, nothing screams "I'm a flame!" to me louder than something like "Never write again." **

**But still, I'd like to thank that one flamer, who I shall christen "Flamey" since he posted without a name. This whole chapter was inspired from you alone. **

**On to other stuff, If there's someone who you want to see fight against Ben, there's a poll on my profile. **

**Finally, next time, you should keep a close eye on this part. You're all in for a treat. **


	4. Unlikely Savior

**Disclaimer : No need to bother with this anymore, I think…**

* * *

**Unlikely Savior**

* * *

Ben groaned as he opened his eyes. The light was dull and reddish in tint. As the blurriness gave way to clarity, Ben could make out that the ceiling he was in was very familiar. He sat upright, recognizing that he was back in his bedroom.

"Was… that all a dream?" Ben asked as he looked around.

"No," a familiar, unnerving voice said from behind him. "But this is."

"THIS is a dream." the brunet said while tensing up. "Oh man… I want to wake up now…"

Turning his head slowly, he was soon looking at a disfigured skull-like head that was twisted upside down.

"Did you miss me Tennyson?" Ghostfreak asked.

"Not really…" Ben said while glaring at the Ectonurite.

The alien ghost laughed before looking right at Ben.

"Listen well Tennyson, I am not here to exact revenge on you. In fact, right now I have no interest in you at all," he said before floating towards the bedroom window. "Why bother when there is a whole new world for me to conquer?"

"I won't let you," Ben declared instantly.

"Oh, were you thinking about the world that you're currently in? No… I was thinking more of its netherworld. It is more fitting for a being like myself. Don't you agree?" Ghostfreak mused.

Ben frowned and fell silent, refusing to answer.

"You don't have to answer. But still, the fact you remained silent about that is quite interesting," the Ectonurite commented in curiosity.

"Do you have anything else to do besides talking me to death?" Ben asked sarcastically.

"I figure I should let you in on something. You are not alone in this world," Ghostfreak replied before chuckling in a malevolent manner. "Some old 'friends' of yours came here, like yours truly."

Ben's eyes widened upon hearing that.

"Why are you telling me this?" the ten-year-old asked.

"Because some of us have conflicting plans involving this reality," the Ectonurite explained. "And I know you are the only one that I can guarantee will interfere with their plans. "

Ben was quiet once again, carefully trying to figure out what to say.

"Time's up, Tennyson, time for you to wake up," Ghostfreak said before he descended into the floor, laughing the whole time.

The light the illuminated the room began to grow more intense, the scarlet tint vanishing, blinding the child as he awoke from his dream.

* * *

"Where did he go?" Airi muttered in concern as she paced in a circle. She had searched for him for over the span of three hours, combing the entire town several times for any trace of Ben.

"Boy, you sure messed up by the sound of it," Cerate said with an amused smirk.

The Gal Monster was sitting on the ground, her arms and legs bound by rope while she was stripped of all her armor and weapons. However, the blonde gave no resistance, even though she could break free of her restraints with brute strength alone.

"Quiet. This doesn't concern you one bit," the wraith said while glaring back at Cerate.

"Wrong, it kinda does. Since you have no interest in me, I have my sights on fighting Ben still," the Gal Monster replied with a frown. "I admit, you are stronger than I am, but I still can't believe you are so dense… You must be an idiot to think that I would give up on him so soon."

Airi frowned as she tuned out the blonde's ranting from her mind. The wraith had no intentions of making the Gal Monster her servant. Gal Monsters like Cerate were well known for willing to become servants of whoever defeats them in a fight. Regardless of whoever it is that they serve, they will be genuinely loyal to their owners if they are accepted.

Airi considered Cerate one of the most annoying Gal Monsters she'd ever encountered, even though she had only brief encounters with ones already "tamed" as they fought to protect their owners. The wraith admired their loyalty, all of them willing to give their lives to protect their owners without a second thought. However, the blonde had taken criticizing another's actions as a hobby, which irritated the redhead.

Cerate divulged the wraith on what she knew about the pair who "hired" her to find Ben and to obtain the Omnitrix. They never told her the name of the larger of the two, but she remembered the smaller one being referred to as Eon. They had distinguishing features, such as the taller man having green skin and tentacles for a beard while Eon wore a black helmet with a purple visor. The Gal Monster admitted that they haven't said anything about what the Omnitrix did exactly.

From what she learned, it appeared that Cerate was sent for some secondary reason besides defeating Ben. Also, Cerate had firmly stated several times that she had no interest in the Omnitrix, therefore making her more of an annoyance than a threat in the wraith's eyes.

"Oh, and another thing, why do you keep wearing the exact same outfit?" the Gal Monster asked while looking at the maid's outfit. "Are you hoping to find someone who is into that sort of thing or do you get a kick of wearing the same thing over and over?"

Airi began to consider draining the Gal Monster dry of her life force at that very moment, just to get her to shut up. However, she soon decided against it, figuring that Cerate would be worth sparing in the long run.

There were easier ways to make a girl silent after all without resorting to extremes.

* * *

Ben frowned as he pulled against his restraints. The boy was restrained against a tree with rope as he looked at the person who attacked him. When Ben came around, he never expected to see a vaguely familiar face that was hard to make out at first from the setting sun.

"We meet again demon," his captor said. It was the same man that Ben rescued, and the one who gave him the cut on his left arm. "Or should I call you by your name, Ben Tennyson?"

"What do you want from me?" Ben demanded, trying to remain calm. "And where did you hear my name?"

The man chuckled softly as he leaned against a tree opposite of the boy.

"Thanks to you Tennyson, I've became the laughing stock of my entire village. They always say that I, a respected hunter, couldn't handle a devil child! You do not understand the humiliation that I endured," he replied bitterly. His furious eyes focused upon Ben's, unnerving the child slightly.

"I was trying to save your life!" Ben said defensively.

"Heh, demons use all sorts of tricks to deceive people. Some act nice, even save their victims before showing their true colors," the man retorted. "I lost my brother to your kind, but I will not be so easy to fool."

Ben trembled as the man rose to his feet, reaching towards his sheath that was fastened to his belt. Blood slowly drained from his face as the man drew the very same knife he used before, the edge encrusted in dried blood.

"I have been tracking you down for the past two days. I think the Angels were smiling down upon me, as I was able to finally find you, and learned your name thanks to the help of a robed kid," the man said while grasping the knife tightly. "Now I can take your head and prove to those bastards that I am not helpless against a child. But first I shall make your final moments in life a living hell."

Ben couldn't even make a cry for help, his words silenced by the blade as it was placed threateningly against his neck.

* * *

Airi, with a bound Cerate unceremoniously being dragged by her tail by said wraith, walked out of the town. Dread plagued the redhead for multiple reasons. First was the fact that she may have failed to uphold her mistress's orders. The Swamp Witch had almost no tolerance for failures. Airi failed her once by being unable to expand the swampland into the Forest of the Elves, being completely overwhelmed by Allyene.

The punishment for her failure, which was something the wraith refused to think about, was light compared to some of the fates of others who served the Swamp Witch. However, if the wraith was to fail again, her punishment would be much more severe. As a spirit originally, Airi would have simply return to her original form if slain, but her mistress created her physical body, therefore, she could do other methods of punishment.

Airi also feared for Ben's well-being as a friend. Even if he could stand his ground with the Omnitrix, the wraith knew that he was clueless to some of the dangers of the land. That and there were those who most likely held a vendetta against the brunet.

"I know you hate me, but this is starting to really hurt!" Cerate cried out while squirming slightly.

"Quiet. I don't have time to deal with you." Airi said while looking over her shoulder.

"Of course, you just have to look for Ben…" Cerate said dryly. "Can't believe you, a servant of the Swamp Witch, are looking out for a kid. I was told he was tough, so you shouldn't be so worried about him."

"I… I am not concerned about the young man." Airi denied after hesitating for a moment. "I am simply following orders. My mistress has taken an interest in him."

Cerate raised an eyebrow before grimacing in pain as the back of her head bounced off a rock embedded in the road.

"Sure… Tell yourself that…" the Gal Monster groaned, not believing the wraith completely.

* * *

The hunter smiled in maniacal glee as he looked upon his handiwork. Ben's wrists were bound together in rope behind his back, with the rope binding the Omnitrix as well, making it impossible for Ben to transform in his current state. The man's knife was scarlet, covered in the blood of his victim.

"Please…" Ben begged weakly as tears went down his cheeks as he leaned against a tree. "Stop this…"

He had a series of new cuts all over his body. A diagonal one was present on the middle of his right cheek. The wound on his left arm was reopened while his chest had a long diagonal cut reaching from his left shoulder to the right side of the waist. His shins also sported shallow cuts in random spots. His face was paler than usual.

The hunter laughed as he listened to Ben's plea. He looked at the boy, then to his bloodied knife.

"Stop now?" he asked. "Why should I? I'm having too much fun!"

To emphasize his point, he twirled the dagger nimbly with his fingers before throwing it at Ben. The boy instinctively closed his eyes, waiting for the metal to pierce him. However, he opened his eyes just after hearing the knife embedding itself into the knife just mere millimeters from his left cheek.

"You know… I just realized, I don't need your filthy demon head. That armband of yours will be proof enough that I dealt with you," the hunter mused out loud.

With a smirk, the man reached for Ben, intending to remove the Omnitrix as a trophy.

However, the man froze in place, as did everything else except for the injured boy.

"How despicable. I cannot believe you are the one who defeated me once before," Eon said as he stepped from behind a tree.

"Eon…" Ben said as he looked at the Chronian. "What… do you want…"

"As much as I enjoy seeing you suffer like this, I need for you to be alive," Eon said while walking over to the man who was frozen in place.

"You saved me…?" Ben asked.

"It sickens me to admit it, but yes," the time traveling alien confessed bitterly. "But do not think this makes me your ally."

"I'd rather eat two-year-old barf than help you out," Ben quipped while glaring at his foe.

"All I need you to do is just stay alive in this world," Eon said. "I will give you some time to free yourself, but once you're done, I am returning time to normal. "

"Why won't you do it for me?" Ben questioned.

"I will not assist you anymore than what I've done already," the alien refused strongly. "And what I've done was out of necessity for my plans."

"Fine…" Ben said before he turned his attention towards the knife.

* * *

Cerate groaned as she laid on the ground face down. The Gal Monster, sore all over her body from being dragged for a long period of time, was glad that Airi finally released her grip on the tail. The wraith had left her alone in the middle of the forest, saying she had some personal business to attend to while having some form of headache.

The Gal Monster took a deep breath and began to pull at the ropes that restrained her. After resisting for a few moments, the restraints gave way, ripping apart as the arms broke free.

"Finally," Cerate said as she used her arms to role onto her back. She then sat upright and undid the knots that bound her legs together. Finally free, she rose to her feet, some of her joints popping loudly from being stuck in a position for a long period of time. "So much better."

The Gal Monster froze upon hearing some rustling in the brush in front of her. She ignored the cries of her aching body and gotten into a fighting stance, clenching her fists as her tail swayed slowly.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

The brush shook once more before a young brunet boy emerged from it, collapsing to the ground while panting heavily. The blonde noticed that his face was pale and his body was covered in obviously fresh wounds.

"What the… are you okay?!" Cerate cried out while running over towards the boy.

Ben lifted his head from the ground the best he could to look at her.

"Yeah… been through worse…" he said while giving a weak smirk.

"You're such a liar," she muttered with a frown. "Who did this to you? Was it that damn Airi?"

Ben looked at Cerate in shock.

"No, it wasn't her… it was some crazy guy," Ben replied. "And how do you know her?"

Before the Gal Monster could speak up, Airi emerged from behind a nearby tree, her mind lost in thought. She came to her senses upon hearing Ben calling out her name.

"BEN!" she cried out before running over towards the boy. Once close, she put herself between Cerate and Ben. "I highly advise you to back off Cerate, if you know what's good for you."

Cerate sighed and stepped backwards with her arms held up.

"I am not one to stoop to such levels. It's obvious he is injured," Cerate replied with a frown.

The wraith looked at the blonde before nodding once before turning around to face Ben.

"What happened to you? I've been looking all over for you, you brat!" she said with slight anger present in her voice before it gave way to concern. "And how did you get those injuries?"

Ben smiled weakly before he rolled onto his back.

"Some whack job I saved… a while back ambushed me in town," he explained before his smile gave way to a frown. "He did this because he was… humiliated back home for what I did."

"Typical… Men do extreme things for the most pointless reasons," Cerate scoffed while gritting her teeth. "This man's deplorability is as bad as the Swamp Witch's herself!"

"I agree," Airi said with a calm face. To think a man would go so far with a child for a petty reason…"

Cerate chuckled dryly before smirking.

"Never thought we'd both agree on the same subject," she muttered to the redhead.

"Umm… did I miss something?" Ben asked before looking at the Gal Monster. "Besides, who's she?"

"Cerate," the blonde introduced herself quickly before looking at the wraith. "Airi and I met a little while ago."

"That doesn't matter… I need to tend to your wounds first, Ben," Airi retorted while glaring at Cerate, who glanced right back at the wraith.

"I'll stand guard. I may be unarmed, but I can still fight," the Gal Monster said before looking over in the direction Ben came from. "Especially if Ben's attacker shows up."

Airi raised an eyebrow but decided to remain quiet, mentally reminding herself that Cerate was most likely helping out so that she could fight Ben later. However, the wraith noticed that the blonde had a faint blush present on her cheeks, causing the redhead to frown slightly.

* * *

"How long must I wait for that Chronian!?" Vilgax said in frustration, slamming one of his fists against a tree.

"You should learn to calm down, Vilgax," Eon said as he came into view.

"Finally… have you taken care of what is needed?" the galactic warlord asked.

"Indeed. I have set up the next opponent Ben shall fight," the time traveler replied. "The woman I spoke to, Nyx, shall further Ben's exposure to the harshness reality has to offer."

"I must agree, your approach has already shown me some interesting results," a raspy voice said from behind the duo.

"Ah, Zs'Skayr, how nice for you to join us," Eon said humbly while turning around. "Where have you been?

A young boy wearing a cloak stepped into view from a bush. His eyes each had three black lines that resembled cracks coming from his eyes, two going downwards and one upwards. The whites of the eyes were jet black while the irises were a rich purple.

"I simply spoke with a certain acquaintance of ours to tell him about us," the Ectonurite spoke while smirking a bit through his host.

"I see," Eon said with a slight nod. "It makes no difference if Ben knows or not of us."

"Hmph. We should just crush the boy and leave him to rot," Vilgax said firmly.

"We cannot let Tennyson die, not until Albedo is finished at least. He is the only reason why Paradox isn't showing up," Eon replied while closing his eyes.

"I too must agree, as my own plans will benefit greatly from the completion of Eon's," Zs'Skayr added. "For that, the boy must stay alive for the time being."

Vilgax glared at the pair while growling in frustration. He clenched his fists before grabbing them both by their cloaks and lifted them up to his eye level.

"Listen here you two… I only agreed to this alliance because I was promised the Omnitrix and the opportunity of ending Ben Tennyson's life with my own two hands," Vilgax hissed threateningly. "If I am not given what was promised, then you shall both perish."

The Ectonurite smirked as he chuckled darkly.

"You? Kill me? Don't make me laugh, you can't kill what you can't touch," he taunted.

"Vilgax, you will get what was promised, but you must remain patient," Eon said calmly. "If you wish to vent your frustration, then perhaps I can tell you of where to find one of the future contestants of the Queen's Blade. One who would provide you with a decent challenge."

The Chimera Sui Generis paused for a moment before slowly setting Eon and Zs'Skayr down to the ground.

"Tell me who it is, Chronian," he said firmly while looking directly at Eon.

"She is a smith who is well known for her wares, as well as the mother of a young boy," Eon replied. "The thing to take note of is that, for a human, she is extremely strong."

"Interesting… She would very much be worth visiting," the warlord mused before turning around. "I shall take my leave. Remember to keep your end of our agreement."

As Vilgax left the others, Zs'Skayr turned his attention towards Eon.

"Oh, how ignorance is bliss," the Ectonurite said in a mocking manner. "If you told him your true plans, then he would simply kill us and Tennyson without a second thought."

Eon smirked as he nodded.

"Of course, he will betray us in the future, as will you," he said calmly. "However, betrayal is unnecessary, as once Albedo is finished, each of us shall go our separate ways."

The Ectonurite smirked while turning around.

"You are definitely considering every possible outcome, Eon," he said. "To think I can become complete, you regain your youth, and Vilgax gets his Omnitrix?"

"Exactly, and to ensure all that, we must have this Tennyson break. Have him become willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. To show no mercy to anyone, and to enjoy the bloodshed," Eon replied.

"Interesting, Tennyson already is on that road from what I saw in our little discussion," Zs'Skayr stated. "I wonder what would happen if we 'coaxed' him enough into killing someone innocent?"

"Not yet, Zs'Skayr, he is not unstable enough for that. However, we can in fact, further spread the fear and hatred towards him," the Chronian pointed out. "However, we must make note that Tennyson has already befriended two of the entrants of the Queen's Blade, Leina Vance and Airi. If he succeeds in making anymore allies, especially with those of other races, then not only will he have more support, but also the possibility of acquiring new forms. The form he acquired from the slime is already a formidable opponent. He still has the potential of ruining everything."

"I see… however, I still don't understand something. Why you are involving the Queen and the Swamp Witch in this plan?" the Ectonurite questioned.

"Very simple reasons, they are to hinder Ben's interference as much as possible," Eon replied with a smirk. "Anyway, how are things going for you?"

Zs'Skayr smirked as he looked at the Chronian.

"I found some more of those Gal Monsters. I am quite surprised with the diversity amongst them. Some would actually make decent hosts for me during the daytime," he said. " Also, the wizard is planning to acquire some sort of living weapon. I believe its name was Funikura."

Eon chuckled softly as he heard the Ectonurite's report.

"So, Hex is going to be targeting Nyx for her staff. Very interesting…" he mused. "I wonder who will be the one subjugated?"

"I don't care what happens, as long as I get what I want," Zs'Skayr said before turning his back to Eon. "I must get on my way, as I need to ensure that my own plans are underway."

"I wish you the best of luck, Zs'Skayr," the Chronian replied. "As long as you don't interfere with me, you will get what you want. And don't bother possessing Airi or Tennyson, as it will be disastrous on your end."

The Ectonurite looked over his shoulder at the time traveler briefly before leaving without speaking another word.

* * *

Airi sighed in relief as she sat down next to Ben. The brunet was asleep, his wounds covered by makeshift bandages made out of torn fabric that originated from Airi's outfit.

"Think he will be alright?" Cerate asked softly while looking at the young boy.

"He hasn't fully recovered from his previous injuries, but his pulse is still going strong thankfully," the wraith replied. "For someone so young, he is very resilient, especially for a human."

"But still, he is very lucky. If I didn't have that healing balm from the apothecary in the town to stop the bleeding, he would've died a while ago," the Gal Monster mentioned. "Anyway, what's the deal with you? How is the servant most loyal to the Swamp Witch, one who's taken many lives, fussing over the life of a single child?"

"It's because I was ordered to look after him by my mistress. I failed once already today, and if I am to fail again… I will be punished," the wraith replied.

"I figured as much, but it's obvious there's more between you two than just that," Cerate pointed out while smirking. "I never thought you were into young boys."

"H-How dare you say such false accusations!" Airi hissed in a low tone as a faint blush formed on her face. "I won't deny that I do see him as a friend at least…"

"Can't blame you, despite his current state, he is pretty attractive," Cerate confessed. "I wouldn't mind having someone like him as my master, provided he has the strength to back him up."

Airi's eyes widened slightly in surprise upon hearing the Gal Monster's confession. The wraith quickly regained her composure before speaking up.

"He's only eleven years old you know," she said.

"I see, he's only two years younger than me," Cerate muttered while holding her chin. "I'm thirteen, almost fourteen, but I would've liked to have him be a little older than me."

Airi only shook her head before looking up at the evening sky. The sunset was obscured by the forest, but she was able to see the various shades of orange and pink in the sky.

"Hey, does Ben know you work for the Swamp Witch?"

Cerate's question brought Airi out of the lull she experienced like her being struck by one of the Gal Monster's punches.

"Wh-What?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Guess not…" the blonde said with a sigh. "You do know that when he learns the truth about you, you can likely kiss his trust in you goodbye."

Airi tensed upon hearing that. She knew it was inevitable for Ben to learn the truth about her sooner or later. She was told to look after the boy by her mistress, and she actually considered him a friend at this point. The Gal Monster had raised a valid point. From what Ben told her, he was someone who helped the innocent, therefore, she would most likely become his enemy once the truth was revealed. That and she would be severely punished by the Swamp Witch for failing her mission.

The wraith looked down at the ground, disturbed by this realization. Part of her wanted to keep Ben from turning his back on her, yet she had to obey her mistress' orders.

_What am I to do_? she thought while looking at Ben.

Cerate scratched the back of her head and muttered under her breath for a moment upon seeing Airi's movements.

"All this time, I thought you were a cold, heartless bitch… looks like I was wrong," the Gal Monster confessed. "To think such a kind person like yourself serves the Swamp Witch."

"Thanks," Airi said simply. "I guess I am a little soft towards children…"

"You're an idiot, you know?" Cerate said in a joking manner.

"Guess so," the wraith sighed. "I really messed up here. How can I obey my mistress yet keep Ben's trust?"

"Simple, ditch the damn hag," Cerate said smugly.

"It's not that simple. I am indebted to my mistress for her granting me my physical body," the redhead said solemnly.

"Damn… I understand repaying a debt, but seriously…" the blonde muttered while scratching the back of her head. "I really still don't why you kept me alive after defeating me."

"I believe you have some use to me, besides being a source for replenishing my strength," Airi replied, her face deadpanning as she spoke.

"Really? Here I thought I was going to be just your snack," Cerate said dryly before staring at the wraith with a serious look in her eyes. " Listen, you better consider your future actions with Ben."

Airi looked at the Gal Monster with an equally serious face.

"Why are you telling me that?" she asked, wanting to understand what were the blonde's intentions .

"Depending on what happens, I will stop you," Cerate warned while her eyes narrowed slowly.

* * *

Alright, I did promise you something good for this part, but first, need to take care of business.

First off, a quick message. Masked Kamen, Flamey, the reviews aren't a message board. And Flamey, if you truly wish to help me out, please create an account. It'll be easier for me to talk to you through the site's PM system, plus it'll prove to me that you aren't a flamer or troll. Also, please avoid posting spoilers for Rebellion if possible.

Now, a little update regarding the poll. I have given hints to the identities of three of the four Mystery options. The identities of the first three will be revealed in the next few chapters The fourth one however, is deliberately left a complete mystery, as even a hint would give spoilers to what I have planned. But trust me, that one will be worth voting for.

Okay, a little warning, I may bump the rating up next chapter, although I might do it sooner depending if enough of you say this chapter was too dark for a T rating.. For the record, no, I'm not making this a darkfic. Just further making this story more unique.

Now, the moment you've been waiting for!

As of this chapter on, this portion will be known as…

Converse Corner of Randomness

Blazorna: Alright, now this is where a lot of you are now confused. Basically, this is an end of chapter segment where I "pester" some of the other people involved with Misplaced Hero.

*gets hit in face by randomly thrown rabid chicken, which then perches on top of head*

And where random stuff happens on occasion. Today I'll be pes- I mean talking to the guy who came up with the idea of such an unusual crossover in the first place as a challenge.

People…

I give you…

The one…

The only…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

BIGBY THE BIG BAD WOLF!

Best known for his Ben 10 Bleach crossover "Bleach: Ultimate Alien" and Transformers fanfics.

Thanks for taking some time from your busy schedule to answer some questions. Hope you don't mind the rabid chicken on my head.

Bigby: Thanks for having me here, Blazorna. It's always a pleasure. As for the rabid chicken, I would like to comment on it...but I've seen enough weird stuff to know when to just go with it.

Blazorna: Anyway… I'll be making this quick so you can be on your way back to your own stories.

Bigby: No problem, man. Take all the time you need.

Blazorna: First off, this is more of a curiosity thing, how did you first learn about Queen's Blade?

Bigby: Well, that's...kind of a funny story. I was looking up images to different anime and found one oddly named Queen's Blade. Now to me, that sounded suspiciously like a Hentai. But I'm willing to give anything the benefit of a doubt so I decided to see just what it was. While there was definitely plenty of echiness, I wouldn't exactly call it a Hentai. It's got a decent story plot, an interesting set of characters and I thought...this has some potential!

Chicken: *Pecks at Blazorna's eye* Bucka!

Bigby: What's wrong with the chicken?

Blazorna: OWW! I TOLD YOU I GOT YOUR MONEY, YOU STUPID BIRD! *clears throat* Sorry about that, I lost a bet with it and now I owe it money. I'll tell you about it other time.

Anyway, Bigby, what gave you the idea of having such a crossover as a challenge?

Bigby: Well, I started looking up some Queen's Blade crossovers and found a few good ones. Sadly, they haven't been updated in quite a while. I wanted to see a Queen's Blade crossover but I knew I couldn't pull it off. Mostly because I was too lazy to watch any episodes.

Blazorna: I see. Well, first season's not really the best of the batch after all. First episode alone can deter quite a few viewers. So you're not missing alot. So, how do you like the approach I took for your challenge so far? Was there anything you didn't expect?

Bigby: I will admit, I was a bit caught off guard by you using the younger Ben and having him be treated as an outcast and a demon. I wasn't comfortable with it at first but now I've gotten used to it and I'm looking forward to seeing what you have planned.

Blazorna: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall reading you have trouble with original ideas. have you ever considered doing an crossover of one of your crossovers with one belonging to another to get some ideas? Like for example, Bleach: Ultimate Alien with Misplaced Hero?

Bigby: A crossover within a crossover? Hmm. Well I did try that before in what was called The Great Fanfiction Crossover. Perhaps the reason it didn't last long was because I tried to crossover too many stories at once. If I tried something smaller, it MIGHT work. But, I'd have to see what I'd try to crossover. One with Bleach: Ultimate Alien with Misplaced Hero COULD work, but I need a decent plot. In fact, that's the issue I have with most of my stories; plot.

Blazorna: I can help you out with that if you need extra help, just let me know.

Finally, do you have any announcements you want to say to any of your readers who might be reading?

Bigby: A few. I am currently working on the next chapter of Bleach: Ultimate Alien and the first chapter to Bleach: Omniverse Volume II. And I've taken an interested in Kingdom Hearts crossovers. I mean, come on that series is a crossover in itself. Maybe I'll make some in future. Also, my friend Pyromania has a story challenge of his own: A Ben 10/Injustice: Gods Among Us crossover. If anyone is interested, PM him for the exact details. Well, Blazorna thank you for having me here and if you ever need anything, feel free to let me know.

Blazorna: Thanks I'll get back to you on that… * becomes unconscious after getting ass kicked by the chicken*

Bigby: ...Should I get an ice-bag?

Chicken: *walks off with cash in beak.* Buk buk buk.


	5. Thank You

**Thank You**

* * *

Ben groaned in pain as he collided with the back of a tree and slid to the ground.

"Really? Is that all you got, Deceiving Youth ?" his assailant, a bandit, taunted.

He twisted a sword around lazily before an ear-splitting roar filled the air. Before he knew what hit him, the bandit was sent flying courtesy of one of Cerate's punches, smashing him into a tree with enough force to topple it. The blonde then turned and ran towards another bandit who was focused on aiming at Ben with a crossbow. The trio had been ambushed by a group of bandits in the middle of the night, who were able to separate Airi from the others .

Ben got up, gritting his teeth while turning his attention towards the Omnitrix. He pressed the button that raised the selector before he twisted the dial a few times.

"Going Hero!" he cried out before slamming his right hand down.

Every one of the bandits paused at the flash of green light, but what attracted their undivided attention was another thing altogether.

"WHAT IN THE HEAVEN'S NAME IS THAT FOUL STENCH?!" one of them cried out in disgust.

"Hey! I don't smell that bad!" Stinkfly protested as he hovered in the air.

"Ugh! I'm going to be sick…" Cerate grimaced while pinching her nose. "I hope that isn't a demon bug."

"Not you too!" the Lepidopterran whined before he took to the air. He circled around and flew to Cerate, spraying an adhesive slime from the eyes, immobilizing several of the bandits in place before they could get the jump on the Gal Monster.

"What is this stuff?! I can't move!" one of them cried out.

Cerate watched in awe as Stinkfly flew around, using his gelatinous slime to trap the bandits. The alien cried out when he narrowly avoided being struck by a crossbow bolt at one point, only to return the favor by drenching the man's entire body, save the head, with goo.

"Why is he not killing them with that tail of his?" she wondered. "It looks to be pretty lethal. And where is Ben?"

"It's because Ben uses his powers for good. He doesn't fight to kill," Airi explained as she materialized out of thin air. "And I believe that bizarre dragonfly-like creature is Ben. That hourglass adornment on his head is also present on every form I have seen him turn into. "

The Gal Monster did a double take upon hearing the wraith speak.

"That bug's Ben?!" she cried out in disbelief before deadpanning. "No wonder he smells so bad."

"Hey! I can't help but smell bad when I'm Stinkfly!" the transformed Ben cried out while flying over towards the girls, all four eyes focused on them.

Airi grimaced a little before fanning a hand in front of her face in an attempt to rid the stench from violating her nostrils.

"I mean no disrespect, but could you please keep a fair distance between us until you turn back?" the wraith asked.

"Aww man… alright Airi," Stinkfly said in defeat, turning and flying away, putting space between him and the girls. One of the bandits, who was bound close to the alien attempted to reach out to him with a knife.

"You're gonna pay for this!" he threatened while swiping at Stinkfly with his free arm. "I'm going to kill you, demon!"

The Lepidopterran only turned one of his eye stalks to look at the man for a few moments before turning his head and opening his mouth, regurgitating a spray of goo into the bandit's face. The man's cries were muffled as the gelatinous substance covered most of his face, with only his nostrils exposed while the rest was covered.

"Like to see you try now," Stinkfly said nonchalantly as the Omnitrix began to flash red. He landed just before turning back to normal in a flash of light. Ben's legs buckled from exhaustion, causing the boy to slump to his knees.

"Ben!" Airi cried out as she and Cerate ran towards the boy.

Breathing heavily, the boy looked up, smiling a bit.

"I'm okay, guys… Just really tired myself out there," he said before looking at his left arm for a moment.

"It's been two days since you escaped that crazy prick, so I'm not surprised you're still weak," Cerate said as she offered the brunet her hand.

"I know, but I never had anyone hate me so much for saving them," Ben said solemnly, his attention still focused on his arm.

"Ben, you're in a different world, so there are different customs and beliefs you are not familiar with," Airi explained in a gentle demeanor. "For some here in Gainos, all that means a place in society is the respect found in others, but once that's gone, they lose everything."

"I know… but everyone who I met except for you has called me a demon or treated me like an outcast," the young boy said with a sigh.

"Hey. I don't think you're a demon. If you really were, you'd just kill those bandits instead of stopping them like you did," Cerate said as she knelt beside Ben. "In fact, now that I saw what you can do, I think you're more of who I want in a master."

Ben looked at the blonde in confusion.

"A master? What are you, a pet?" he asked rhetorically.

"A great example of what I said earlier," Airi interjected. "You see, Cerate is what is known as a Gal Monster, and they are known for accepting masters if they are captured."

"Okay… that sounds a lot like a certain video game back home," Ben admitted. "How does one actually catch a Gal Monster?"

"All sorts of methods can be employed, from elaborate traps, goblin shock collars, obedience spells, and even brute force, the list goes on," Airi replied.

"Yeah, but I am one who doesn't go down easily," Cerate boasted with a smug look on her face while punching a fist into her palm.

"Regrettably, that's true," Airi said bitterly, remembering her narrow victory over the Gal Monster.

Ben smirked a little as he nodded.

"I see, glad to know someone like you is on our side," he said gratefully.

"Hold on, runt! Who said I was on your side?" Cerate said with a frown. "I'm only helping out until you're healed enough to fight me on even ground!"

Ben's smirk gave way to a glare.

"You think you're better then me ?" he questioned while glancing down at the Omnitrix, checking to see if he could change. "You don't look that strong to me."

Cerate's eye twitched as she gave the boy a forced smile.

"I am trying to be nice here, you little prick," she said, her voice straining to remain calm. "I wouldn't think it'd be fair if I won against a helpless kid."

"Helpless?! That's it!" Ben said as he saw the Omnitrix turn colors. His injured pride taking the reigns, he activated the alien device and slammed his right palm on top of it, though during the process, he twisted the dial slightly, not enough to change his selection. In a flash of light, Ben was replaced by Four Arms.

"Ben, please calm down!" Airi pleaded. "She is not our enemy."

"I just need to make sure that blondie here gets that I'm not weak!" the Tetramand argued as he rose. "I know she isn't against me, so I won't kick her butt that hard."

Cerate sighed and shook her head before looking at the transformed Ben.

"Fine, if you want to be stupid, we can do that as well," she said dryly before getting to her own feet as well. "Airi, please stay out of this. It's between me and him."

"Alright… but I will step in should things get out of hand. Ben hasn't fully recovered yet," the wraith warned before taking a step back.

"So, how shall we settle this?" Cerate asked Four Arms while backing away, putting space between themselves. "Whoever pins the other against a tree first wins?"

"Works for me," her larger opposition said in agreement while cracking his knuckles one hand at a time.

With that the pair screamed and ran towards one another, their hands balled into fists. Both were intent on defeating the other.

As Airi watched, she couldn't help but smile a little.

"Good luck Ben. I hope you manage to catch that girl. She will make a valuable ally for you," she said softly with a sad smile before phasing out of view, leaving the pair to their own devices.

"Thank you for everything… and goodbye…"

* * *

**Three weeks later**

* * *

"Halt thief!"

"Damn it!" A young blonde cursed out loud as she ran through the crowded streets of a town, being pursued by a group of soldiers dressed in steel armor. Carried in her arms was a bundle wrapped in a black cloth.

The blonde turned into an alleyway, her saurian tail curving as she moved out of sight.

"We got her now!" one of the soldiers cried out. "That's a dead end she turned into!"

Feeling like they were going to apprehend the thief, their morale rose as they went into the alleyway. Only to deflate upon seeing the scowl of a young brown haired boy as he looked at them with his green eyes.

He wore a green short sleeved shirt with white string holding it together in a zigzagging design down the front. His bottoms were of thin black pants that were ripped at the knees, exposing his skin. His outfit made the boy look like a poor beggar, however, the black belt used to hold up his pants was of high quality leather, complete with an iron buckle, contrasted his appearance. His feet were donned in a pair of leather boots, also another article of professional craftsmanship, which further added to the contrast.

His outfit was not what discouraged the soldiers, it was the black armband with a green hourglass emblem present on his left arm, an indistinguishable feature of a certain person people known from countless rumors that conflicted with one another.

"Do we have a problem here?" the brown haired youth asked while keeping his scowl. He held up his left arm and reached form his armband with his right hand.

"You… You're that criminal!" A soldier cried out. "The Deceitful Youth."

"Why do people keep calling me that?" the boy asked in annoyance. "I prefer that people call me by my name…"

"You have no right to say!" another soldier retorted. "You're under arrest for all the chaos you brought upon Gainos! Now surrender peacefully and come with us!"

"Let me think about it-No," the boy said dryly. "I don't want to hurt you guys, but you're really driving my patience."

"Just as the rumors say, an arrogant brat," the leader of the group said with a frown. "Subdue him immediately!"

The boy sighed before quickly pressing a button and twisting a dial while the emblem rose up and shifted, becoming a rectangle that featured a silhouette. He then stepped back and slammed his palm down on the device, becoming engulfed in a green light.

The soldiers were baffled as they looked at the now disappointed face of Shiftlash.

"I still have stuff to do," he said solemnly while walking over towards the soldiers. "I will give you guys one last chance to back off."

"GET HIM!" the leader ordered while drawing his sword.

The green slime sighed before clenching his fists, transforming them into a pair of green spheres.

"Don't blame me for what's about to happen."

The four soldiers drew their swords and charged forward.

Shiftlash cried out defiantly as he swung his arms , having them elongated into flails. One of the soldiers was struck square in the chest, his armor crumpling slightly form the impact of the sphere which hardened just before collision.

Two of the other soldiers managed to thrust their swords into the slime's torso and head, only to gasp in shock as their weapons were drawn into his body.

"Seriously? Weapons like that can't hurt me," Shiftlash said before the blades of the swords erupted from the back of his shoulders, acting like a pair of spikes now.

He inhaled deeply and spewed acid near his opponents' feet. They all backed away as the pavement melted as the slime stepped forward. He held his right hand out towards a wall while his fingers morphed into talons laced with acid, scoring into the stone as the tips were scraped against the wall.

"He… he's a monster!" one of the soldiers, now terrified , spoke while trembling.

The captain, who hasn't attacked, realized that the person before them was out of their league.

"FALL BACK!" he ordered while dropping his own weapon.

All of the soldiers obeyed without a second thought, helping out the one who was struck down earlier before fleeing.

Shiftlash sighed in relief before pushing the swords in his back out of his body, letting them fall to the ground.

"That was close," Cerate said as her head emerged from a nearby barrel that she hid within. "Are you alright Master?"

Shiftlash nodded while looking at his right hand, flexing his clawed fingers several times.

"I'm alright, but I really hate doing this… scaring and hurting guys who are only doing the right thing," he said before furrowing his brow. "And can you stop calling me that!"

"You managed to pin me down as Four Arms, though it was sheer dumb luck that I was sneezing at that time," Cerate said while frowning at the transformed Ben. "Fluke or not, you won, and since you managed to subdue me completely, I consider that you catching me."

Shiftlash groaned while face palming himself with his right hand, which turned back to normal beforehand.

"How many times am I going to tell you, I tripped and crashed into you!" the slime protested. "I never caught you in the first place!"

"Tough luck Ben. I made up my mind to accept you as my master, you idiotic brat!" the blonde countered. "I understand you aren't comfortable with this, but you need to grow up."

Shiftlash groaned before stretching his left arm up to grasp the edge of the roof.

"Let's get going, Cerate." he said before offering the Gal Monster his free hand.

Cerate climbed out of the barrel and reached inside to pull out the bundle she had with her before running over towards the slime. Once close enough, Shiftlash coiled his arm around the blonde like a snake before using his other arm to lift the two of them up to the roof.

* * *

Airi sighed as she swung her scythe, leveling the trees in front of her. She kept reminding herself that her leaving Ben was for everyone's best interests. However, the unease she was experiencing was distracting to say the least.

She had decided to leave Ben three weeks ago in an attempt to avoid becoming too attached to the boy. She was able to barely convince her mistress that she left his side so that the brunet would not become dependent upon the wraith. It was partially true, but the wraith hid her true reason from everyone else.

She was afraid of losing everything, her friendship with Ben, or the trust that her mistress still placed in her. The wraith realized she couldn't have both, as if she kept to her orders, Ben would have turned against her, but if she betrayed her mistress, then she risked losing more than trust.

She never expected to feel like her plan had failed the moment she left Ben. The unease was eating away at her. She felt like she made a terrible mistake.

"Ben… I hope you're alright," she said in a depressed tone while turning around, looking at the bleak swampland that was blanketed in a dense fog.

* * *

Ben and Cerate strolled through the forest, the pair now donning a pair of light brown cloaks.

"So, you think our best lead is those ruins?" Ben asked.

"Right, it is a good place to start our search, Master." Cerate replied

"Stop calling me that!"

The three weeks that went by were a wake-up call for the brunet. First was him unintentionally "catching" Cerate, who forcibly made him her master. Never having to deal with such an issue before, Ben had routinely told the blonde that he didn't want to take on the role. However, his protests always fell upon deaf ears.

A few days later, he learned of many false rumors about him circulating through the populace, demonizing him in the process. At first Ben was disturbed by the news, but Cerate managed to convince him that he should actually capitalize upon the fear to avoid conflicts. He didn't like the idea, but knew that it was better at the time for people to fear him and give him space than to have them demanding his head.

Despite embracing the idea, he still kept on doing the right thing, eventually encountering some people who actually were grateful for what he did. One of the people he helped out, a traveling merchant who sold high quality clothes, gave the boy the shoes and belt he wore as thanks for saving her from bandits. The rest of his outfit were also given to him by a family who lived on a farm after dealing with a monster that was ravaging their fields.

However, what affected Ben the most was Airi's sudden departure. The boy was completely confused as to why the redhead left without saying goodbye. However, he began to have an idea of what happened when Cerate informed him of Airi's identity.

He was stunned when he learned that the very first person who showed kindness and concern towards him after coming to Gainos was actually a servant of a villainous woman feared by many. Ben couldn't accept that fact at first, unable to envision his friend as an evil spirit who would kill without a second thought. Even Cerate admitted she really couldn't help but feel the same way after getting to know the wraith personally.

When Ben learned of Airi's reasoning for being so loyal to the Swamp Witch, he made up his mind on what to do next:

"I will find her, and make her understand she's doing the wrong thing."

Those were the words the boy had said, full of conviction. He knew Airi wasn't evil at heart, and felt he could be able to change her ways if convinced. Even when Cerate told him that it was likely impossible to achieve such a feat, it didn't discourage him.

Since then, the pair have been preparing for a journey towards the ruins of the ancient Kingdom of Amara. They couldn't earn any money as Ben was still a wanted criminal. And even his heroics didn't get them anything besides a mix between gratitude or fear.

Left with little choice, the pair were forced to thievery, which was a very bitter pill for them both to swallow, though for different reasons. Ben, for his pride as a hero who did the right thing, and Cerate for her seeing the criminal action as a cowardly method. However, on occasion, when Cerate, the one who actually did the task more, was caught red handed, Ben had resorted to scare tactics to frighten the blonde's pursuers without hurting them. Through trial and error, he learned that Shiftlash had the best intimidation, due to the combination of shape shifting and acid. On occasion, he had to force himself to fight back in defense, mainly to protect the Gal Monster.

"So, besides Goo Girl, Airi was known to be with this undead princess?" Ben asked, bringing Cerate back out of her line of thought.

"It's only through unproven sightings, so I can't fully put my trust in this info," the blonde replied. "But if they are real, then perhaps she might know Airi's whereabouts."

Ben nodded before stopping in place as he heard the resounding roar coming from the distance.

"What the-?" he said in confusion.

Cerate turned her head to the right and frowned.

"Was that who I think that was?" the Gal Monster thought out loud. "What would bring her here?"

"What are you talking about Cerate?" Ben asked, completely confused by what the blonde was talking about.

"C'mon Master, we need to check this out!" the Gal Monster urged while grabbing Ben by the wrist.

"OW! THAT HURTS!" Ben cried out in pain as he was dragged against his will.

* * *

A slender girl with knee-length blonde hair done in twin tails gritted her teeth while backing off, putting space between her and her adversary. The sunlight that seeped through the treetops illuminated her white skin as she focused her deep blue eyes upon her foe.

Her outfit consisted of a white top that would make one think of a bra instead. She also wore what was best described as a vest that was made out of bone, with magenta hexagonal plates protruding from the strips of the back of the jacket, resembling the back of a stegosaurus. Her arms were donning armbands that were a slightly richer shade of the plates

Her bottoms were of a pair of pink shorts with vertical magenta highlights at the sides with white bands found on the bottom trims. Wrapped around the back of her waist was what best resembled a belt made out of the same material as the "vest" she wore. Her legs were covered by knee high stockings that were a deep magenta. Shin guards were present in the front, made out of the same bone like material. Her feet were encased within shoes that had three overlapping layers of bone, with the outermost being at the toes with a black sphere found on the top. Protruding from tip of each toe end were four silver protrusions, designed to emulate toes.

The girl's most distinguishing feature was her purplish blue stegosaurus-like tail that protruded from her back, with fins that matched the ones found on her bone "vest". Four spikes, two on each side, were also present at the tip of the tail.

"I do not have time to deal with you," her adversary said in annoyance.

"Tough luck, I haven't had a fight in a long time," the blonde replied curtly.

Hex growled as he held out his staff toward the girl.

"Berdi Mordo Nata!" the man chanted before firing a beam of light from the staff towards his opponent.

The blonde leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the beam before running forwards, swinging her long, serrated sword at Hex. The magician leaned backwards, evading the blade before grasping the blonde's wrist firmly.

"This ends now," Hex said before his eyes began to glow.

"I KNEW IT WAS YOU!" a voice cried out not far from their right.

Both heads turned to see two newcomers, each familiar with one of them.

"Cerate?" the twin tailed blonde said in surprise.

"Tennyson…" Hex muttered bitterly while glaring at the boy.

"What are you doing here Hex?!" Ben cried out while immediately reaching for the Omnitrix.

"I should ask you the same thing," the magician replied before letting go of the twin tailed blonde's wrist and levitated towards Tennyson.

"You know skull face?" Cerate asked Ben.

"Yeah, his name's Hex, and he's bad news," the brunet replied before activating the Omnitrix.

"Stand aside, I do not have time for you children," Hex demanded.

"Sorry, but you're up to something," Ben said in refusal. "And I know it's not good."

Ben slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix, being engulfed in light.

While Ben and Hex were preoccupied, the twin tailed blonde ran over towards Cerate, her back turned when the light went off.

"Been a while, Stella," the Gal Monster said with a smirk.

"Indeed it has been. To think we met like this," the twin tailed blonde, Stella, replied with her own smirk.

"Aww, man!" the transformed Ben cried out in frustration. "I wanted Shiftlash, not Upchuck!"

Stella looked over at where Ben was and blinked in confusion at what she saw.

"What's with that stupid thing of yours?!" Cerate asked. "You're such an idiot, Master!"

"Don't call me that!" Upchuck protested. " And I'm not an idiot!"

Cerate deadpanned upon hearing that.

"Sure… tell yourself that," she said dryly.

"Um, who's that cute thing?" Stella asked while pointing at the alien. "And where was that boy you came with?"

"The boy is my master, Ben Tennyson. He currently is that little fatty," Cerate replied.

"Really? Never thought you'd have a master so young," Stella commented.

As the blondes conversed, Upchuck was fleeing for his life while Hex was launching an assault of energy balls.

"Cerate, some help here!" the alien cried out. "And I'm pudgy, not fat!"

Cerate sighed and shook her head.

"He's hopeless sometimes," she said before charging towards the fight.

Stella smirked as she saw the Gal Monster run off.

"Interesting, I guess I should help out as well," she said before running after the pair.

"Stand still, vermin!" Hex demanded while firing another volley of energy spheres from his staff.

"Sorry, but I don't wanna be blown up!" Upchuck cried as he leaped just before being blown away from the explosion of one of the spheres colliding with the ground. The Gourmand bounced off the ground for a moment before groaning in pain.

"Oww…" he groaned while Hex hovered above him.

"Now to be rid of you for good," the magician said while aiming his staff.

Upchuck rolled onto his back and tensed up when he saw the staff beginning to glow. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the end.

_Sorry Airi…_

However, the Perk Gourmand opened his eyes upon hearing two bestial roars nearby.

Hex was tackled to the ground by Cerate, forcing him to let go of his staff. Stella swung her sword, cutting the upper portion of the staff in half mid-air.

"NO!" the magician cried out, reaching out to his staff.

"Sorry, but you've lost, wizard," Cerate said smugly. "You okay Master?"

"Thanks for the save," Upchuck said as he got up. He went over towards the staff and looked at Hex.

"Get away from that, Tennyson!" Hex warned the boy.

"Try me," the Gourmand said before opening his mouth, using his tongues to consume the two halves of the staff. Upchuck chewed a bit before swallowing, in which his belly began glowing magenta. "Oh man… I don't feel so good."

He tilted his head upward and belched loudly, releasing a blast of magenta energy to the sky.

"I don't know how to comment on that…" Cerate said to Stella.

"Same here…" the blue-eyed girl added.

"My staff…" Hex said in disbelief.

"Shut it, Skullface!" Cerate snapped before a slightly restrained punch collided with the magician in the face.

* * *

"So, you're telling me that you're looking for Airi, as in the Infernal Temptress?" Stella recapped while shouldering her sword. "And the wizard and your master are both from another reality."

Cerate nodded as she sat on top of the unconscious Hex.

Ben groaned as he laid on the ground, curled up in a ball while his face looked green. Cerate looked at Ben and shook her head.

"Think before you act next time, idiot!" she retorted.

"Is he really as strong as you say?" Stella asked skeptically.

"Yeah, he actually managed to beat me not too long ago despite losing quite a bit of blood before hand," Cerate said. "Of course he was in a different form, but even so, to have such a disadvantage yet win…"

"I see… he really must be something," Stella said while swaying her tail lazily. "But how does he change forms exactly?"

"It's that armband of his. It's called the… Yummytrice I think," Cerate replied.

"_Omni_trix," Ben corrected the Gal Monster before groaning again as his stomach growled.

"Whatever," Cerate said with a frown. "Anyway, what brings you here Stella? I thought you went to the mountains to train."

"Stupid dwarves forced me to leave, said I was causing too much destruction with my training," Stella said bitterly. "Since then I've been traveling with a group of your kind.

"You are pretty aggressive," Cerate said.

"Are you picking a fight with me ?" Stella asked while glaring at the red-eyed Gal Monster.

"Not now, Stella," Cerate said while sighing. "You're always wanting to fight someone."

"Same can be said for you," Stella countered with a smirk.

"We're both Gal Monsters after all," the red-eyed girl remarked before smirking mischievously. "Hey, how about you let my master catch you? It'd be great to have you with us. You have no idea how often we're attacked by bandits."

Stella paused to think for a moment.

"I'm not sure… I am not really impressed with his earlier display as that little fatty," she admitted.

"Master had some bad luck. He is actually a pretty good fighter."

"Don't call…_urp_… me that…" Ben protested weakly.

"The only downside is him refusing to be called 'Master'," Cerate said, rising to her feet before smirking. "But I think that'll change in time. He never owned a Gal Monster before, after all."

Stella smirked as she looked at Ben.

"Alright, I've decided. Once he's feeling better, I'm going to fight your master, and I won't take 'no' for an answer, " she announced while pointing towards the ailing brunet. "If he can catch me, I will submit immediately. "

"Aww…_urrrrpp_… man!" Ben groaned weakly before belching loudly for a moment. "Not this again!"

Ignoring him, the two blondes shook hands in agreement.

Meanwhile, lying on the ground, Hex turned his head slowly , his eyes focused upon the trio.

_I must bide my time for now… I can sense the staff which I seek not far from here._

As the magician plotted inside his head, he returned to his original position, feigning being unconscious once again.

* * *

**Converse Corner of Randomness**

* * *

Blazorna: *hidden* Today we'll be speaking to Pyromania101, beta of this story and many others like Bleach: Ultimate Alien.

Pyro: Yo. Uh, where are you?

Blazorna: * pokes head out of a trashcan.* Don't ask why I am in here. I'm hiding from that stupid chicken. Anyway, glad to have you come out here, Pyro. How does it feel like to be in the spotlight like this when you're a beta?

Pyro: Eh, not too bad. I may be a beta, but I'm pretty social on this site, which is ironic, since I'm very anti-social outside of it.

Blazorna: Alright, now to get to business. I asked this before with Bigby, but I am also curious to know how you first heard of Queen's Blade.

Pyro: Heard about it on TV Tropes. Can't remember which one, though.

Blazorna: What made you decide on helping me out with Misplaced Hero? Was it Bigby who asked you to help?

Pyro: Actually, I tried to get _him_ to write the story, and when he told me of you, that's when I sent you that PM. The idea really intrigued me… and the idea of Ben meeting all those women just made me laugh.

Blazorna: So you were the one who came up with the idea in the first place... On to the next question,it's obvious you're aware that I incorporated some of the ideas you gave me, though not all were to a "T" like what I did with Ben's age. Is there anything that I've did that impressed, or shocked you in any way?

Pyro: Your way of exposing Ben to the crueler side of life is certainly intriguing. And actually I didn't. Bigby had a brief outline idea, and I gave the suggestions I later sent you to him.

Blazorna: Like I say, I like doing things against the norm. I remember Bigby saying you had your own challenge involving Injustice: Gods Among Us and Ben 10. What gave you that idea? Ben 10 interacting with the DC Universe isn't exactly a new crossover concept at this point. And why that game exactly?

Pyro: The game explores the concept of heroism going too far, to the point of evolving into extremism, and the idea of a guy like Ben being confronted with that made me giddy. And of course, the idea of Ben getting a Doomsday form and fighting him would be so awesome! I'm aware that there are plenty of Ben 10/DC Comics crossovers, but most of 'em are sub-par in my opinion, and the few that are good have been left to rot for years. Actually, a fight between Ben and Shazam would be more symbolic, since both are youths who take great pride in being heroes and worshiped another one at one point: Ben idolized Captain Nemesis until he turned out to be a fraud, while Shazam idolized Superman in both 'verses, but tragically realized too late that hero worship is _not_ a good thing.

Blazorna: A dark version of Ben... *thinks for a moment* Well is there anything you want to say to the readers?

Pyro: Call me if you're interested in taking a shot at this Injustice idea!

Blazorna: Thanks for your time Pyro. Before I end this, I apologize for making this chapter a little bit underwhelming, especially with the fight with Hex, but there's a reason behind it. Next chapter you'll see why, though you may have a good idea already.

I forgot to mention these during Cerate's debut chapter. First, in this story, she's a few years younger than she appears in official artwork. I'm doing the same with Stella. Secondly, the Gal Monsters are only found in the Spiral Chaos video games. It's very tricky to accurately use them when there is not a lot of information to go by.

Finally, thank you everyone for all the support you've been giving me so far. I honestly never expected this story to be as popular as it is. Please keep it up, as it's what motivates me to keep writing. I would really like to keep hearing what you guys want to see in this story. I do plan on incorporate some of the suggestions already given, but I may have to change a few details to make them work with the story.

Prepare for Menace, guys. She's coming soon.

Once again, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you next time.

Chicken: *behind Blazorna's head." Buk….

Blazorna: Please don't tell me that the damn clucker's behind me… *gulps* This isn't going to end well… *slowly descends into the trash can*

Chicken: *jumps in before trashcan starts moving all over the place.* BUCKAA!

Blazorna: You're not going to beat me this time! Wait… WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?! ANYTHING BUT THAT! **_NOOOOOO!_** *trashcan stands still*

Chicken: *hops out of trashcan and walks off casually.*


	6. Double Trouble

**Double Trouble**

* * *

Stinkfly panted heavily as he flew over the treetops of the forest.

"This is amazing… I haven't seen the landscape like this," Cerate said from the Lepidopterran's back. "If Master didn't reek so badly in this, it'd be perfect."

"Definitely beautiful," Stella admitted from behind the red-eyed blonde. Her sword was tied against her back with a piece of rope.

"Can we take a break? I haven't rested in over an hour!" Stinkfly pleaded while twisting two of his eyes backwards. "Besides, carrying everyone is really tiring. How heavy are you girls?"

"Not now," Stella said while glaring at the alien. "We are fortunate that the wizard hasn't awakened yet."

Stinkfly lowered one of his lower stalks to examine the third person he was ferrying with his legs. Hex had his arms bound at the wrists by part of the rope that once bound Cerate, and ever since being punched by Cerate, the magician had remained silent. Ben felt even if punched by someone as strong as Cerate, he would've awoken already. The sun was way up in the sky, indicating it was at least late morning or early afternoon.

An all too familiar beep attracted everyone's attention.

"Aww man…" Stinkfly said before descending as fast as possible while slowing down. "Hang on everyone!"

Stella and Cerate tensed up when they were engulfed in a flash of light. Immediately after the light vanished, all four began to plummet to the ground. The twin-tailed blonde quickly grasped her sword and pulled it out, thrusting it into a tree and used it to halt her descent.

Ben and Cerate crashed through the branches before landing into a large thicket, breaking their fall as they vanished into it.

"Ben, Cerate! Are you both okay?" Stella called out to the pair.

"Oww!" Cerate moaned as her head rose from the vegetation,. "I'm alive! What about you Master?"

"Don't call me that!" Ben groaned from within the foliage.

"He's fine!" Cerate reported to her fellow Gal Monster.

Stella nodded before putting her feet against the tree, attempting to draw out her sword from within the tree. After several tugs, the serrated blade was freed, resulting in the blonde falling to the ground. She twisted her body and landed in a squat, the sword safely in her left hand. Rising to her feet, she realized that someone was missing.

"Anyone seen the wizard?" she asked.

Ben's head surfaced from the thicket with some broken twigs in his hair.

"Hex is missing?!" he cried out.

While the trio began looking around for him, Hex hid behind a tree, levitating as he slipped his hands free from the rope restraint with little effort. However, his attention was focused upon seeing a flash of light in front of him.

"What do you want now, Eon?" he asked, looking at the Chronian who stood on a branch of the tree in front of the magician.

"I came to assist you," the alien replied.

"I can't believe we lost Skullface!" Cerate said in frustration. "Where could he go?"

"I should have known something was up," Ben added while frowning. "I am such an idiot!"

"I agree with you on that part," the Gal Monster said, causing her reluctant master to glare at her.

Stella sighed as she stood with her hands on her hips.

"Forget the wizard, he's not worth the effort," she said curtly.

"Guess you're right, without his staff, he won't be much of a challenge," Cerate admitted thoughtfully. "Only a true idiot would keep searching."

"You girls are underestimating him," Ben said, recalling his previous encounters with the magician. "I say we find him."

Cerate frowned before grabbing Ben by his left arm, her hand directly on top of the Omnitrix's faceplate.

"What about you finding Airi, Master?" the Gal Monster questioned. "We have a potential lead, but you care more about finding some skull-faced wizard?!"

Ben fell silent for a moment before lowering his head.

"It's not that, Cerate," the brunet replied softly. "I fought Hex before, and he is too dangerous to be left alone."

"I doubt he'd be much of a threat here," Stella said. "He is strong, but I faced even stronger opponents than him."

Ben nodded as Cerate released her grip on his arm after feeling movement underneath her hand, revealing the Omnitrix's screen yellow and spinning.

"What is going on with that piece of junk?" the red-eyed blonde asked while looking at the screen.

Ben looked down and smiled a little once the Omnitrix settled down, the screen turning green and the spinning coming to a halt.

"I guess I can turn into your kind now," he said while twisting the dial, revealing a silhouette of what appeared to be Cerate that he showed to the girls.

Cerate's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"You… can become me now?!" she asked incredulously.

Ben looked at the Gal Monster before activating the Omnitrix.

"Let me show you," he said before slamming his hand down on the raised screen.

Stella and Cerate watched in anticipation as the brunet was engulfed in light.

What happened when the light vanished stunned the girls.

Standing in front of the Gal Monsters was basically a gender swap of Cerate, lacking the armor.

Part of his long spiky blonde hair was tied in a short ponytail in the back while the rest was pointing in random directions. Unlike the other forms, he was donning the same scars on his cheek and arm that he had as a human. His outfit consisted of a tank top and shorts in the same style as Cerate's outfit, though in a green and black coloration. He also had a single dark green shoulder pad with the Omnitrix attached to it. His shoes were very similar to Cerate's own in design.

"If anything that isn't human touches the Omnitrix, it lets me turn into them for about ten minutes," the transformed Ben explained. "Although it doesn't always let me turn into an exact duplicate."

"Interesting," Stella said while examining the boy's body. "To be able to turn into even a Gal Monster… or rather, a 'Boy Monster' in your case."

"I remember you saying you name each form you turn into… what are you calling that form?" Cerate asked.

"Good question," the transformed Ben said. "I think Tailbrawl will work."

"Tailbrawl?" Cerate questioned while raising an eyebrow. "You can really come up with stupid names."

"It's the best I can come up with. It's that or T-Whacks… but that name sounds stupid in my opinion."

"Same with Tailbrawl," Stella added. "However, I can understand where the name comes from though."

"What am I to call myself then?!" the blonde boy asked before pointing to his tail. " I have a dinosaur tail! Wait… dinosaur… and Cerate strikes with her fists… I GOT IT! I'm calling this form Dinostrike!"

"Much better," Cerate said with a smirk. "I actually like the sound of that."

Stella nodded in agreement before looking at the pair.

"Dinostrike, I think you should have Cerate teach you how to fight in that form. You are basically her right now," Stella suggested before pointing her sword at the transformed Ben. "Here I come."

Dinostrike froze in place as Stella began running towards him, her sword raised to strike.

"MOVE DAMMIT!" Cerate cried out, bringing the blonde boy out of his daze.

Stella smirked as she swung her sword as the boy rolled to the side, evading the attack. Dinostrike charged forward and attempted to punch the twin-tailed girl, only to have her sidestep him easily. Stella leaped back and put some distance between herself and her opponent. The male watched the Gal Monster run towards him, and prepared to counter. However, he was caught off guard by the girl vanishing from his line of sight as she sidestepped several times, almost like she was teleporting.

Stella attempted to slash at him, only to have the boy narrowly evade the sword, only having the tip cut into his right shoulder, drawing a small amount of blood.

"That's it," she said, impressed by his reaction speed. She put space between them again before turning around and tensing up her body. "First we'll work on your reflexes."

Cerate's eyes widened upon realizing what her fellow Gal Monster was going to do. "Stella, don't telling me you're going to do that!"

"He is rough around the edges, so I decided to help train him a little," the blonde swordswoman explained before dropping her sword and putting her arms together in front of her chest while her hands clenched into fists. " I want you to try to touch me. You have until you turn back."

Stella roared while flexing her body, shaking off every part of the bone-like material she wore excluding her shoes and armbands. The discarded articles of her outfit landed on the ground, kicking up dirt in the process.

Stella began walking towards Dinostrike. As soon as she smirked, she became a blur as she ran towards him, her speed drastically different after removing the bones.

_WHOA! Is she as fast as XLR8?!_ Dinostrike mentally noted before he ran towards the blonde. Stella smirked as she leaped and rebounded off a series of trees, disorienting her opponent before stopping behind him.

"A Stella may not be as strong as a Cerate, but we're faster than them without the restraints," the Gal Monster explained.

"What are you saying by '_**a**_ Stella' and '_them_' ? Are there like clones of you?" he asked.

"Each member of a Gal Monster race are exactly the same in almost every way, even our names are the same. Don't be surprised to come across a group who looks exactly like the Cerate you own," Stella explained before resuming her high-speed rebounding around Dinostrike.

"Don't worry about that for now!" Cerate called out to her master. "Just focus you idiot!"

Dinostrike nodded before getting an idea. He remembered something from his fight with Cerate, something that he could use. He inhaled slowly and waited for Stella to be close enough. When she was coming his way, he opened his mouth and roared as loud as he could. Stella was stunned by the roar, causing her to collide with a tree face first. The Gal Monster landed on the ground as Dinostrike ran towards her as fast as possible.

When Stella came to her senses, she realized that she was pinned to the ground by the boy.

"You really are aggressive for your age," she said while smiling. " But you really are also very resourceful to use a roar like that. Cerates usually do that for only intimidation."

Dinostrike smiled a bit upon hearing the praise. However, when he saw the Gal Monster's blush, he gulped, fearing what was going to be said next.

"Also, to also capitalize my moment of vulnerability to catch me like this," she said while averting her gaze from the boy. "You may use me however you wish…Master."

The Omnitrix timed out, and in a flash of light, Ben returned to normal, however, his mind failed to comprehend what he just heard. He got off of Stella and just stood in place as his brain slowly restarted.

When he finally understood what happened, he realized that he was being hugged by Cerate.

"I'm so proud of you Master!" Cerate cried out in excitement while hugging the brunet. "You are a natural at catching Gal Monsters!"

Ben blinked before groaning.

"Aww man… Why did this happen to me?!" he complained to no one in particular.

* * *

Nyx panted heavily, her hand reaching up towards her attackers, or rather, what one of them held.

The woman was traveling in the direction of the Capital, intending to enter the Queen's Blade. However, she was ambushed by two mysterious men, each wielding powers that easily surpassed her own, leading to them easily overwhelming the woman.

"Lord Funikura…" she cried out weakly, looking at the purple staff that was held within the grip of Hex's right hand.

"Silence, the staff belongs to me now," the magician said while holding out his left hand as a fireball began to manifest in the palm of his hand. The staff began to squirm as its single red eye widened as if in pain.

"Hex, she is not worth your energy," Eon said while putting a hand on his accomplice's shoulder. "I managed to recover the shards of your staff that Tennyson unknowingly regurgitated within the mana blast after eating it. Besides, I have payment should you assist me with this one task."

"What would you have that would be of value to me?" Hex asked skeptically. "While you do have my gratitude for helping me acquire the living staff, Funikura, as well as giving me the remnants of my original staff, I do not see what else you can do for me."

"The Charms of Bezel, plus the Keystone," Eon said with a smirk. "As well as Gwen Tennyson, who you know better as Lucky Girl."

The magician dismissed the fireball, turning to face the Chronian.

"What is it that you require my services for exactly?" he asked.

The time traveler looked over at Nyx, who was backing away from the pair in fear.

"It'll be nothing more than a menial task for one like yourself. I simply need you to ensure that Tennyson is feared by the denizens of this world. There have been those who have began doubting the rumors around him being a monster, and that is not what I want," Eon explained before holding out his right hand palm up, producing a red oval-shaped stone. "I believe you will need this in case you encounter Ben Tennyson again."

Hex reached out and grasped the Keystone of Bezel.

"Consider it done," he said before the black lines on the magical relic glowed. "Now, what should we do with the woman?"

"She is irrelevant to the future of this world, so you may do whatever you wish with her. Although I believe she will be of use in your task," Eon said while grinning. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must speak with an associate of mine. I wish you luck, Hex."

Hex only nodded before flying off while the Chronian vanished within a flash of light.

* * *

A bandit backed up behind a tree, his eyes widened in horror at what he saw after a flash of light died down.

A teenage boy with a headband covering his eyes smirked as he looked up at the corpse of another bandit he was grasping in his outstretched hand

"Seriously. I've forgotten how pathetic you bandits were," the boy said callously. "You were not even worth the energy of transforming."

"Please… spare me!" the surviving bandit pleaded as the teen unceremoniously let the corpse drop to the ground.

The boy only grinned maniacally while reaching for a sword that was strapped to his back. He slowly drew it from its sheath, revealing the blade to be large and scarlet in coloration.

The bandit recognized it immediately, having seen the exact same blade used by a certain combatant from the previous Queen's Blade.

"That's the blade Her Majesty uses!" he said in disbelief. "How did you get that?"

The boy chuckled while shouldering the blade.

"I obtained this sword after killing your little queen two years ago," he said cruelly before holding a finger up to correct himself. "Or rather, I will, two years from now. I did come from the near future after all."

The bandit began sweating profusely, his eyes focused on a red armband the boy wore on his left arm. This didn't go unnoticed by the boy.

"Like the watch?" the boy said before running his left hand through his messy blonde hair. "It's a replacement for the Omnitrix that was taken from me by a certain treacherous ghost. It's called the Ultimatrix."

"Who… are you?" the bandit asked.

The boy tilted his head back and began laughing maniacally.

"You should be well aware about me; haven't you heard the rumors of a certain shapeshifter known as the Deceitful Youth ?"

The bandit's eyes widened upon realization.

"You're him?!" he cried out. "But you should be a child still!"

"I told you, I'm from the future. I prefer calling myself the Bloody Hunter, just to separate myself from him," the teen said. "I come from a future where all is ruled by one person…"

With that, the scarlet sword tasted blood as it cleaved through the bandit, silencing him forever. The boy who called himself the Bloody Hunter began laughing uncontrollably as he reveled in the sight before him. He brought his left hand up to his face while the laughter trickled down to a fit of unnerving chuckles.

"Heh, poor little Misplaced Hero must be lost. Don't worry, I will make sure to set you straight," he said while pulling up his blindfold slightly with his fingers, exposing a crazed ebony eye with a green iris while three crack-like lines reminiscent of when one was possessed by an Ectonurite. "After all, I am the future you after all, little Ben."

The boy began laughing once again, his eye focused straight at the sky while shouldering his sword, not paying attention to the blood staining his already bloodied and tattered cloak.

* * *

Ben sighed as he walked on, trying to keep his mind off of the recent chain of events that happened to him. He somehow became the owner of two Gal Monsters now, and both captures were unintentional. If he found a way back home, how could he explain this situation to his parents?

"Something on your mind?" Stella, once again wearing her bone restraints, asked while walking up towards him.

"Yeah… I don't know what to do if I can get back home," he said. "Mainly if you two come with me."

Stella smiled a little and placed a hand on his shoulder gently.

"It is alright. I will not hold any ill will should you need to leave Cerate and myself behind," she explained. "Your word is absolute to us."

"I know… but this whole 'master' thing feels wrong for me," Ben admitted.

"I heard a lot of owners who first get a Gal Monster feel that way, especially if they have strong morals. Just keep this in mind, we are not objects, nor slaves. We are what are best described as servants."

Ben nodded in acknowledgement.

"I get that, but I just can't get used to it," he said. "You're not animals."

"I am fortunate to have someone as considerate you as my master, Ben," Stella said while her smile grew a little. "I heard most male masters would treat any Gal Monsters they own as nothing more than objects for their…amusement."

Ben had mixed feelings upon hearing the blonde's comment. He was thrilled that Stella held him in high esteem, but was also uneasy about the fact that he was referred to as a master.

Cerate, who remained quiet for most of the conversation, decided to speak up.

"Master, we weren't forced to submit to you, we chose to willingly," she said. "You are not going to be seen as a villain for owning a few of us Gal Monsters."

Ben inhaled slowly before closing his eyes. He stopped walking, resulting in the Gal Monsters to do the same while looking at their owner in confusion.

"Cerate, Stella… thanks," he said smiling while opening his eyes. "It'll take a while for me to get used to it, but I guess I can give this 'master' stuff a try."

Both of the blondes smiled upon hearing that before looking at one another.

"Well then, I guess we should look for more members then," Cerate suggested. "I admit that while I am strong, I am not really the best at defense…"

"I can cover defending Ben if necessary, however, it would definitely be worth having a third Gal Monster to help us out," Stella added. "Perhaps we can find Puia."

"I refuse to work with someone like her," Cerate said bluntly.

"On what grounds?" Stella asked.

The red-eyed blonde blushed, looking down at her chest while a look of insecurity formed on her face.

Stella thought for a moment before looking at her own breasts.

"You're right," she said in a depressed tone. "We couldn't compete with her."

Cerate nodded solemnly before sighing.

"If only Tino was here," she muttered.

Stella's head perked up upon hearing her fellow Gal Monster's comment.

"Tino?" she asked. "You're talking about _that_ Tino?"

Cerate nodded.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, They'd be perfect for each other. She needs someone like Master to get over that shyness of hers…pPlus she can be able to provide the support we need," she thought out loud. "Best of all, she's our age!"

"We can also consider Audrey Plum. She could make an excellent strategist," Stella said.

"I agree. Audrey and Tino would be perfect choices for Master!"

Ben face-palmed his face.

"How many times is this going to happen?" he asked no one in particular.

However, everyone's attention was focused upon hearing the sound of an explosion followed by a pillar of smoke coming from nearby them.

"Think that's Skullface?" Cerate asked.

"Only one way to find out," Ben said before he began walking.

"Please wait for a second, Ben," the twin-tailed swordswoman called out.

Stella went over to Ben and touched the faceplate of the Omnitrix with her hand, allowing the device to sample her DNA.

"What are you doing with the Omnitrix, Stella?" Ben asked in confusion.

"Since you have Dinostrike, Cerate's form, it should make sense that you have mine as well," she explained quickly while removing her hand. "I hope my abilities will be of use to you."

Ben smirked and nodded. A few moments passed before the Omnitrix finished processing.

"Thanks, I think I may just use it," he said before seeing a new humanoid silhouette with a tail like Stella's in the selection screen.

"It's Hero Time!" Ben said as he slammed his fist down on the Omnitrix.

* * *

Hex was levitating with his legs crossed, chanting towards a pyre of violet flames. Held within his hand was Funikura, its eye staring blankly at nothing while its tentacles were limp.

"Please, stop hurting him…" Nyx cried out weakly.

The magician stopped chanting and turned around. The brown-haired woman was restrained to a tree by its own branches holding her arms up above her head while the roots snaked around her ankles.

"Why do you care for something like this like it is a person? It is a living staff that doesn't care for you at all," Hex replied coldly. "You were nothing more than a tool to it."

"Th-That's a lie!" Nyx said in denial while shaking her head.

"But it is true. I have slowly been acquiring its magic to enhance my own. I also know of its regenerative and enhancing abilities it can bestow its host," Hex added. "With this staff, I shall be able to restore my body to its original state and more. "

"But Lord Funikura is in pain!" the bound woman said.

"That's only because my magic is of a different kind, it shall become used to it soon enough," the magician replied before frowning. "Now be silent, I must complete this ritual to restore my original staff."

He held out his hand and some of the roots crawled upwards, entering her outfit from below and lifting it up slightly before coming up again and wrapping themselves around Nyx's mouth, acting as a gag to silence her.

Without anymore distractions, the magician turned around again and began chanting once again.

* * *

Stella and Cerate ran as fast as they could, trying to catch up to their master. The faster of the pair was tempted to remove her restraints to catch up and belt him one to get him to calm down.

The transformed Ben was similar to Dinostrike, looking more like a gender swap of Stella. His blonde hair was short and messy. The wounds Ben had were also present on his transformed body as scars. His outfit consisted of a pair of green shorts that reached his knees and a black shirt that looked like the sleeves were ripped off. The Omnitrix was present on the right side of his waist , part of a lighter green belt that held the shorts up. His feet were encased in shoes similar to Stella's in appearance.

His tail was the same coloration as the Gal Monster's, although slightly longer in length.

Speedspike, the name that Ben gave the form, smirked while looking at the others with his blue eyes.

"Man I love this form already!" he cried out gleefully as he ran.

Distracted by the exhilaration of being able to run fast again, Ben collided into a solid object, knocking him down to the ground.

"Oww…" Speedspike groaned in pain.

"Tennyson…" a voice hissed venomously.

The boy tensed up when he heard the all too familiar voice. He slowly looked up and gasped upon seeing the face.

"Vilgax…" he said in disbelief.

"To think we should meet in a place like this," the alien warlord said in slight amusement. "I see you have acquired a new form since we last met."

"How are you here?! I remember throwing you out into space as Way Big!" Speedspike said while crawling backwards. "And why are you here?"

"I was originally looking for someone else to fight, but I have been lost for the past three weeks looking for her village," Vilgax replied, ignoring the boy's first question. "However, I shall take great pleasure in crushing the life out of you."

"NOT ON OUR WATCH!" Cerate screamed as she came from the alien's left, punching him as hard as she could.

Vilgax grunted in pain before quickly grabbing the blonde and holding her in one hand. Without any warning, he twisted his body and slammed his free arm into Stella as she attempted to attack him. The blue eyed Gal Monster collapsed to the ground before her adversary placed a foot on top of her, pinning her in place.

"Cerate! Stella!" Ben cried out before rising to his feet.

"Interesting… you have allies as well…" Vilgax noted before applying pressure to his grip, causing Cerate to scream in pain.

"Stop it!" Speedspike cried out. " f you want the Omnitrix, you can have it, just let my friends go first."

Vilgax reached out and touched the hourglass of the Omnitrix, undoing Ben's transformation.

"Very well," he said before removing his foot from Stella before kicking her before throwing Cerate in the same direction. Stella crashed into a tree with enough force to toppel it while Cerate crashed into the ground hard enough for the ground to give way underneath her body upon impact. Both blondes groaned weakly before falling silent.

Ben called out to his Gal Monsters and tried running over to them, only for Vilgax to grab him.

"Now, it is time to claim what is rightfully mine." he declared while glaring at Ben. " I shall enjoy this very much."

The alien warlord tightened his grip upon the boy, intending on squeezing him to death.

"Farewell Ben Tennyson…" Vilgax said mockingly. "In this world, the _only_ way to remove the Omnitrix is for you to die."

* * *

Eon materialized in front of a cave located deep within a mountain range. As the time traveler entered the cavern, he noticed the fire that illuminated the darkness.

"Albedo, how are you doing with the device?" he asked.

An older version of Ben with white hair smirked as he turned around from a workbench, holding a deep purple armband in his grasp.

"It has taken me much longer than it should have if I had the proper tools," Albedo said. "But I must admit, I have really outdone myself here. Azmuth himself wouldn't had thought about this. A device that allows you to open portals and travel through any dimension or time without consequences. This wouldn't have been possible without your contribution, Eon."

"Is it ready to be tested?" the Chronian questioned while taking the armband from the former Galvan.

"Almost. I just need to have the energy kept stable," the white haired doppelganger replied. "That 'Holy Milk' found in this reality has shown to have the necessary properties needed for stabilization."

The time traveling alien nodded in understanding.

" I understand. Time traveling is very dangerous. I do not do it myself unless it is absolutely necessary as there are repercussions. However, if I am able to move freely without such a thing, I shall have better control over traveling through time and space," he pointed out.

Albedo only shrugged before taking the device back from Eon.

"I expect you to keep your end of our agreement. You're to send me back home," he reminded the time traveler with a frown. "I greatly detest this world. Everything is so obsolete here."

"I know. However, there has been a development that disturbs me: a future version of Ben Tennyson has appeared," Eon reported. "However, he is not like the other incarnations of Ben Tennyson that I've encountered. He is from a possible future of this reality… One where my plan succeeded far too well…resulting in the boy to become a psychopath who revels in slaughtering anyone who stands before him. What is most disturbing is that he has the Ultimatrix." Eon's eyes narrowed in contemplation. "While my plans call for Tennyson to become mentally unstable, I have no intentions of having him become such a monster."

"Impossible, you told me yourself that time traveling can only be done by you and that 'Time Walker' you loathe so much," Albedo retorted.

The Chronian pointed to the armband.

"Not unless that device works and does as it was created to do," he pointed out.

"Great… One Ben is bad enough, but a lunatic one with not only my Ultimatrix, but is also able to time travel…" Albedo said bitterly. "I did not sign up for this…"

Eon however smirked when he figured out something.

"There can be a silver lining found in this unexpected development," he said before telling the Galvan turned human what he realized.

"Very interesting," Albedo said while smirking a little. "Perhaps I can synchronize the device with it."

* * *

Ben gasped for breath as Vilgax further tightened his grip upon him. The boy gritted his teeth, trying his hardest to not scream.

"Trying to act so strong," the giant alien commented dryly. "Why bother resisting when it is futile?"

Ben smirked as he looked at his archenemy. The alien roared in pain as he felt something sharp slash at arm.

Vilgax turned to see Stella standing up with her sword firmly in her grasp.

"Let him go…" she warned.

Vilgax glared at the Gal Monster in silence before attempting to punch her with his free hand, only to miss as she moved out of the way effortlessly.

"You have power, but not the speed to keep up with me," Stella commented before she ran forward as fast as she could, sidestepping in an attempt to disorientate the alien.

Vilgax released his grip on Ben, throwing him to the side to focus upon the blonde.

"I'll deal with you later, Tennyson," he said before his arms began to bulk up.

Ben screamed as he flew through the air, only to be caught by Cerate just before he collided with a tree.

"Are you alright Master?" she asked, her face showing unease and worry towards Ben's well-being.

"I'll be fine. Thanks for the save, Cerate," Ben said with a smile. "Glad to have you and Stella by my side."

Cerate blushed a little and averted her gaze.

"L-Let's focus on what's important right now," she said.

Ben nodded before holding his left arm up to his face, activating the Omnitrix.

"Squidhead is very strong. We can't take him down with just brute strength," he said, recalling his previous fights against the warlord.

"How are we to take him down then?" Cerate asked.

Ben smirked and slammed his right hand down on the alien device, transforming into Shiftlash.

"Shiftlash? How can you being goop help us out?"

"Hold still for a second Cerate," Shiftlash ordered. "I have an idea."

"Yes sir!" Cerate said obediently, following the command.

Shiftlash's body transformed into a pile of green ooze that then crawled over to the Gal Monster. The ooze then stretched above her head and split into two halves, each wrapping around one of her arms. Once the limbs were fully engulfed, the last of the ooze wrapped around her chest, becoming armor for her. The Omnitrix shifted and resided on her left shoulder.

Cerate watched as the slime that covered her arms turned into spheres with spikes.

"I see where you're going, Master," the blonde said while smirking. "May I charge in?"

"Go ahead," Shiftlash's voice said.

The Gal Monster quickly flexed her arms, noticing that she had no restriction of movement before running towards Vilgax while he attempted to catch Stella, who used her speed to keep herself one step ahead of him.

Cerate roared as she leaped up into the air, aiming one of her fists toward Vilgax's head.

"Eat this!" she cried out before swinging her mace like fist towards her target.

Vilgax quickly grasped the fist without difficulty. However, Cerate smirked before swinging her other arm, causing the mace to extend, nailing the alien in the head. Vilgax cried out in pain as he staggered backwards while releasing his grip .

"How dare you…" he said in anger.

Cerate smirked before leaping backwards and holding out her right arm as it began to morph into a small cannon.

"I was about to insult Squidhead, but this could work too," she said with a smirk, remembering about Shiftlash's acid. "Fire whenever you feel my fingers move."

She flexed her index finger from inside the canon arm, signaling Shiftlash to fire a blast of milky acid in the form of a bullet, moving at a very fast speed. The shot missed Vilgax by a large margin, narrowly hitting Stella. The acid bullet made an explosive impact upon colliding with the ground, generating a cloud of dirt to rise into the air.

"Wow… didn't know you can do that…" the Gal Monster commented, amazed by what just happened.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" Stella roared at her fellow Gal Monster while running towards her.

"Sorry, I'm not really good with projectile weapons!" Cerate said apologetically. "You know I am better up close!"

"You should've told me in the first place!" Shiftlash said as the cannon arm morphed into a hand tipped with talons.

"You didn't ask first, idiot!" Cerate countered before balling up the clawed fist and slamming it against the Omnitrix.

"Cerate, wait!" Shiftlash cried out before being smacked into the device. Cerate and Shiftlash were engulfed in a flash of light, only to reveal Dinostrike clinging to the Gal Monster's right arm. The male got off and looked at his hands

"Uhh… what just happened?" Cerate and Dinostrike asked in unison.

"I can't believe you still have very little understanding of the Omnitrix," Vilgax said as he walked over towards the trio.

"Why do you want the Yummytrick so badly?!" Cerate questioned.

"It's Omnitrix, you dolt!" Stella corrected in frustration. "Do I have to pound that into your thick skull?!"

"Guys, we have bigger troubles right now," Dinostrike said before he noticed the Omnitrix starting to beep loudly.

"OH COME ON! IT HASN'T BEEN NO MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES!" Ben yelled out from the top of his lungs after he turned back to normal. "STUPID WATCH!"

"Disorganized and no more than mere children…" Vilgax said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "You three might have actually had put up a fight… but that doesn't matter. All of you shall perish together."

Before they could react, Vilgax swatted them all at once with his enhanced arms, having them all land on top of each other, too battered and weakened now to get back up. Stella's sword landed at an angle, cutting into Stella and Cerate's arms at the same time.

"Master…" Cerate said weakly while looking at the cut on her right arm as some blood oozed out of the wound.

Stella only grimaced as she examined the scarlet diagonal cut on her left forearm.

"Forgive us Master… We failed you…" the twin tailed Gal Monster apologized .

Ben only smiled as he looked at the Gal Monsters.

"Cerate, Stella, we did what we could…" he said reassuringly. " And I appreciate you helping me out."

Cerate and Stella both blushed a little and smiled back.

Vilgax took his time walking over towards a large boulder, knowing full aware that victory was close at hand. He easily hoisted it over his head and walked over towards the trio.

"Farewell, Ben Tennyson." the warlord said before throwing the stone.

Both the blondes braced themselves against Ben while all three of them closed their eyes, bracing for death.

A minute passed before Ben slowly opened his eyes, wondering if he was dead.

What he saw before him made his eyes widen. Two familiar faces stood in front of him, while the boulder split in the middle and each half laying on the ground away from him.

" Why did you interfere?" Vilgax demanded.

"We cannot allow you to kill the boy, Big and Burly. He is just too valuable," Melona said with a frown.

Ben looked up to see the all too familiar figure of Melona's comrade. The French maid outfit, the scythe, and the red twin tails. It was unmistakable who it was.

"Airi…" Ben said in disbelief.

The wraith turned her head to look over her shoulder. She kept her face neutral, but her eyes conveyed her concern towards the boy.

Melona ran forward to engage Vilgax in combat while Airi went over towards Ben and the others. Once close, she knelt down next to them and kissed Cerate and Stella, draining them of enough life force to make them unconscious. She looked at Ben and smiled softly.

"I'm glad you're still alive, Ben," she said.

"Airi… why are you helping the Swamp Witch?" the brunet asked.

Airi's smile faltered as she sighed.

"So… you know the truth now," she said solemnly. "Yes, I am a devout servant of my mistress, the Swamp Witch."

"Why?" Ben asked.

"I am indebted to her," the wraith admitted.

"Airi… you're not a bad person…" Ben said while looking into her eyes. "Please… stop doing this…"

"I'm sorry Ben…" Airi said as a tear started to form in her eye. "At least I can rest easy knowing that you don't hate me for what happened."

Before Ben could say anything else, the wraith planted her lips on top of Ben's and began draining him of his life force. Ben's eyes became heavy when the wraith finished. She slowly rose to her feet, her eyes focused upon Ben's own.

"Goodbye Ben," she said before walking out of view.

Ben attempted to call out to the wraith, but slipped into unconsciousness before he could say a word.

* * *

The sun had already set, giving way to the night. Most people would been asleep at this time, however, one person was on the move, hell-bent on reaching his goal. His brown eyes focused forward while his black hair was matted and messy from not bathing in almost a month's time.

"When I capture that demon, I am going to make sure he pays…" the crazed hunter cursed under his breath. He couldn't fathom how the brunet escaped from him when he was so close to death. He wandered through the forest in the direction of where he heard of sightings of the Deceiving Youth.

He lost everything back at his village after he failed once again. All respect in him was lost amongst those he thought were his friends. Even his wife left him because she saw him as a failure. He became an outcast, someone that everyone avoided at all costs.

He once again sought out to kill the boy, as it was the only thing left that he still had. It wasn't for revenge or to regain his lost respect anymore. It was the only thing that gave meaning to his life now.

The only weapons he brought with him on this hunt was the dagger he used twice before to injure the boy who ruined his life, and his bow and arrows.

"Are you looking for someone?" a female's voice asked, causing him to stop in place.

"Who's there?" the hunter demanded. "Show yourself!"

Melona materialized in front of him from a pool of slime.

"You! You're the Protean Assassin!" the hunter said upon recognizing the slime.

"Are you looking for a certain little boy?" Melona asked. "Brown hair, green eyes, able to turn into different forms?"

"Yeah, I am looking for that brat," the hunter said.

The slime smirked as she walked towards him.

"I have a little proposition for you. You kill that boy and his little pets, and you'll be able to have your way with not only me, but with the Infernal Temptress herself," she offered in a sultry manner, bringing her breasts together.

The hunter paused to think for a moment.

"How should I know you won't keep your word and kill me on the spot once I finish off the Deceiving Youth?" he asked. "The fact you serve the Swamp Witch herself is enough for me to not believe you."

"It's because I want to bring that stupid wraith down a peg or ten. She's been having all the fun lately… and besides, I think she cares for the brat. So what better way to humiliate her than to kill that Tennyson boy?" Melona admitted before holding out her hand. "You have my word, I won't let anything happen to you when it's time for your reward."

"Very well, I have nothing else to lose anyway," the hunter said with a nod.

Melona nodded and smirked as he took her hand and shook it.

"By the way, what's your name?" she asked.

"I don't see a point in having a name now, but I go by Wes," the hunter said. "I lost everything, so why bother?"

"Wes…that suits someone like yourself," Melona complimented while bringing a hand up to brush it against his cheek endearingly. "Besides, how else can I call out to someone amongst a crowd?"

Wes smirked as he nodded.

"I won't disappoint you, my lovely Melona." he said smoothly. He knew that Melona killed many men before, and was extremely sensitive to being called a monster. However, he didn't fear her one bit.

The slime smirked as she gave Wes a peck on the cheek.

"I'll be waiting…" she said before retreating into the forest. "Oh, and you can find the brat North from here."

Wes smirked before walking in the direction Melona told him.

Watching from the foliage, Melona giggled to herself.

'_Now to see where your loyalty lies at, Airi,_' she thought. '_To think the hag is starting to doubt her allegiance ever since she returned… She never deviated from an order like that before… Did that kid do something to her?_'

Shrugging, the slime trailed Wes from the shadows, becoming eager to see what he would do, and to stop Airi should she appear. For a moment, she wondered how the towering opponent she fought earlier in the day just disappeared without a trace.

Airi sat on top of a tree branch, looking up at the night sky. Her concern towards Ben became to unbearable for her to stand, driving her to go check upon the boy who she eventually came to see as a friend.

Her mind kept replaying Ben's words during their brief conversation before she forced him into unconsciousness.

_"Why?"_

_"You're not a bad person…"_

_"Please… Stop doing this…"_

The wraith was confused by Ben's words. He knew her true identity, yet he didn't hold a grudge against her. It was more like he wanted her to stop serving the Swamp Witch, which never happened before. Everyone she's ever met before him either saw her as a monster or lusted for her body.

Airi felt indebted to her mistress for what she did for the wraith. However, ever since she spoke with Ben, doubt began to form.

Was it really worth killing people to repay a debt?

Memories of the times she had to kill targets with Gal Monsters at their sides surfaced in her mind. A lot of them apparently were very close with their owners, mourning for them after she killed them as ordered.

The words of one of the Gal Monsters rang through her mind. It was a response to asking why the Gal Monster kept on fighting after her master passed on, even when she was close to death herself.

_"You don't understand how I feel! You never will understand until you meet someone who cares for you like my master did! Everyone who you kill is loved by someone, and each death only brings loneliness, which is worse than death itself!"_

Back then, the wraith paid no heed to the Gal Monster's words, focused only on accomplishing her task. But as she remembered them, she finally understood what they meant.

Ben managed to do something that no one else was able to do, becoming a true friend to her. He still was concerned about her, despite knowing the truth. Melona would've abandoned her to save herself if needed without a second thought. She knew that her mistress wouldn't come to her aid if she was ever captured and stripped of her powers.

However, she knew now without any doubt that Ben would save her. He didn't care who, or what she was, he saw her only as Airi. She finally found someone who cared for her, and now she didn't want to lose that.

Airi turned to lean against the tree while bringing her legs up against her body.

"What am I to do?" the wraith asked with uncertainty. "Am I really doing the right thing?"

"That's quite a difficult question to ask, Airi," a voice asked from in front of Airi. "But I am amazed by how fast young Ben has made you open your eyes."

"Who are you?" the wraith asked while trying to put up a front. "And how do you know of Ben?"

Professor Paradox smiled as he held out a paper bag to the redhead.

"Care to have a gumball?" he offered. "It'll help you relax."

* * *

**Converse Corner of Randomness**

**Pyro: **Hey everybody! Welcome to another CCR session. Today, me and my good buddy Bigby the Big Bad Wolf will be asking Thorn some questions. I guess I'll start. #1: "Why do you insist on having both names instead of just picking Blazorna or Kamen Rider Thorn?"

**Blazorna**: There's a story behind the penname being that way. My original pen name was Blazorna Santori, but a while after becoming a fan of the japanese series, Kamen Rider, (somewhat similar to Power Rangers, but no giant robots or brightly colored spandex.) I attempted to do a collaboration fanfic for Kamen Rider, "Kamen Rider AERS", and I changed my name to correspond with my OC Rider, Kamen Rider Thorn. Since then, I didn't bother with changing my name.

**Pyro:** Hmm, interesting.#2: "How did you first learn of Queen's Blade?"

**Blazorna: **I can't really discuss details about it, but simply put, it was through a fanmade flash game of a certain...nature... involving Leina and Risty.

**Pyro:** Oh. Okay.#3: "Who is your favorite QB character?"

**Blazorna: **Airi hands down. Really attractive, and she is very interesting personality. Shame she didn't really have a major role in Rebellion. Leina and Elina are close behind Airi.

**Pyro:** Airi IS very easy to like. Good choice.#4: "Which QB character do you absolutely hate?"

**Blazorna: **I don't really hate any of the characters, but the one I dislike the most is Sigui. Mainly for her personality. As for physical appearances though, I guess it'd be Cattleya and Melpha. Not really attracted to them for their chests, but I like them both for their personalities though.

**Pyro: **Sigui, eh? Gotta admit, I don't care much for her either, though when she's not being a fanatical bigot, she goes around helping kids, so she's not a total bitch. Cattleya puts her son in mortal danger every time she fights, and God only knows why. Speaking of God, as nice as Melpha is, she really should have figured out that Nanael is NOT a high echelon angel by now, but instead she seems almost like a stereotype dumb blonde. I blame the church; they must've done something to her besides what's been mentioned. #5: "Who's your favorite Ben 10 villain?"

**Blazorna: **Vilgax. Guy's brutal, very powerful, and more stubborn than a cockroach.

**Pyro: **Indeed. Too bad he got easier to beat as the series progressed, though he's still got a few times to show how badass he is here and there. #6: "Who's your favorite Gal Monster?"

**Blazorna: **Four way tie between Cerate, Stella, Puia and Tino. Cerate's personality reminds me alot of Asuka of Neon Genesis Evangelion, who's my favorite from that anime. Stella won me over when I saw what she could do in the Spiral Chaos games. Puia... I'm VERY... ummm...interested... in how she looks, and Tino's just so damn adorable. You just want to hug her upon sight. I think you'd agree with me on that, Pyro.

**Pyro: **Yes I do. When I first saw her picture on the QB wiki, I just wanted to take her home with me and spoil her rotten, the cute little pipsqueak. Well, that's all for me for now. Over to you, Bigby.

**Bigby: **Thanks, Pyro. Now, Blazorna, my man. Pyro asked some of the same questions I had in mind. But I still have a few left. #1: Aside from Ben 10, what do you think would be other good stories to cross Queen's Blade with?

**Blazorna: **Here's the funny thing. Thanks to the spinoff, Queen's Gate, Queen's Blade is able to mesh very well with just about any fantasy action series. For me, I can easily see crossovers with Blazblue, Highschool DxD, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and RWBY.

**Bigby: **Really? I'm afraid my knowledge of those series is limited. I'll have to look into them. So onto my next question. #2**: **So, man. After you're done with this story, do you have any future fics planned?

**Blazorna: **Depends if I can remain focused enough to finish in the first place. REALLY easy to become sidetracked sadly...

**Bigby:** Oh believe me, man. I definitely know the feeling. Alright now.#3: Do you have a favorite QB arc in particular?

**Blazorna: **Not really. If I'd have to, I guess it's those OVA's set in a school and the Queen's Blade Characters are students. *daydreams about Airi in her skimpy school uniform while drooling*

**Bigby:** *snaps fingers* Oi, oi! Stay with me, man before we need an Ark. Okay then.#4: What do you think of pairings in QB crossovers? Possible or not likely?

**Blazorna: ***comes out of daydream.* huh, oh. I really am for those, but they have to actually be ones that can actually happen. For example, It's very hard for me to read a where the main protagonist, like say Naruto, is no different from canon and he pairs up with Melona. I can't really see that happening. A dark version of Naruto, however, I can see that pairing happening. If you're asking about there being any in Misplaced Hero, just take some closer looks in the more recent chapters. I did mention about there being no romance, but I never said no to anything else that could eventually lead to it.

**Bigby:** *Nods* That makes sense. #5: I know you've really enjoyed my Ben 10/Bleach crossovers. Anything favorite parts in particular?

**Blazorna: **In B:O, I guess it was the ending for Part 1. I honestly never saw that coming. In B:UA, I guess it's what you have done with Loly. She's actually one of my favorite Arrancar, and though I am a little uneasy of what you're doing to her, I can't wait to see what you have planned ahead.

**Bigby:** Well, man. I hope you do enjoy what I have planned with Loly. #6: When did my stories first catch your interest?

**Blazorna: **Boredom is a powerful thing, my friend. Whenever I'm really bored, I sometimes get an itch to read a certain kind of fanfic that is long in chapter length, usually at least four thousand words per chapter. When I found your fics, it was when you were on chapter five of Part One of B:UA. Your name was Grimlock back then. I thought you were originally going through the corruption route with Ben when I read the summary, so I decided to check it out. Though it didn't turn out like I though, I was hooked on it. Only qualm was Ben winning every fight with ease. At least that's been remedied in Part Two.

**Bigby:** Yeah. I can't really stick with a name, can I? Hopefully my new name will stick. Yeah, I was a huge Ben 10 Fandom mode at the time, hence why I made everything so easy for Ben in my first B: UA story. I do intend to make things more of a challenge for him. And I'm happy to say that I'll soon be posting the first chapter of Bleach: Omniverse Volume II. Hope you'll like , that's all for me today. Thank you for having us both here, Blazorna. Always a pleasure. Hope to drop by again soon. I also appreciate the ideas you shared with me. I can definitely find good uses for them.

**Blazorna**: Anytime guys. And I'm glad you're able to use those ideas, Bigby. Just make sure you give credit when it's due.

Anyway, I am going to set up a new poll. It involves what you guys want to see exactly for romance. And contrary to popular belief, Anons can vote as well. At least, last time I checked they could. That'll do it for this entry. If you readers actually have a question you want answered here, ask away. It can be just about anything, just nothing compromising to anyone's safety. Other than that, please check out the poll and leave a review if you have the time. I appreciate all forms of feedback, including constructive criticism. Just make sure it doesn't look like a flame.

So, who's up for playing Polo with that damned chicken?


	7. Where I Stand Under This Midnight Sky

**_Warning: This chapter contains some disturbing content that is not for the faint of heart. Parental Discretion is Advised. Also, this story will be Rated M from here on out._**

* * *

**Where I Stand Under This Midnight Sky**

* * *

The Bloody Hunter hummed merrily as he watched the corpse of a soldier collapse to the ground, one more added to the wake of blood and gore that coated the ground around him.

"Nothing like a bloodbath during a midnight sky to lighten the mood," he said happily while swinging his sword expertly, causing a large amount of blood to fly off the blade.

He then turned his attention towards the last surviving soldier who served the Vance Family.

"Hmm… how should I kill you? Dismemberment? Decapitation? Bisection? Heart ripped out of your chest? So many choices," he said casually. He then grinned while propping his sword upright into a corpse.

"I know. How about your face melting off with acid?" he said with a maniacal grin before reaching for the Ultimatrix.

* * *

Ben groaned as he came around. He noticed that the light had long since set, as he saw the full moon up in the sky. His body screamed in pain from his earlier encounter with Vilgax. Ignoring the protests, Ben sat upright, wondering what happened to him. His memory was hazy at the moment, unable to fully recall earlier events. He took note that Vilgax was nowhere in sight, as well as him being alive.

He looked at Cerate and Stella, who slumbered at each of his sides, their heads both resting in his lap. Ben was able to see various cuts, scrapes, and bruises across their bodies.

The boy then heard a panicked squeak coming from his left, catching his attention.

"Anyone there?" he asked.

All he got as a response was the sound of someone gasping before fleeing in a hurry as well as an arrow landing right in front of Ben's feet.

"I'm here, you little demon," Wes said as he came out from behind a tree, bow drawn and armed.

Ben's face paled upon seeing the man who tortured him before once again.

"Y-You again…" he said weakly while scrambling backwards.

The hunter smirked while Cerate and Stella came around, mainly due to Ben's legs hitting their heads.

"What's that for Master?!" Cerate groaned.

Wes stopped and waited for the blondes to fully awaken.

"I see you've obtained some bitches. Not surprising, they're nothing more than just monsters with a human body. Perfect for a demon like yourself," he commented.

"Who're you?" Stella asked while glaring at the man while reaching for her sword.

The hunter aimed his arrow at the twin tailed girl.

"I don't think so, keep your hands to yourself," he warned Stella while walking towards the sword. He carefully used his foot to move the weapon out of reach while keeping his attention on the trio. "As for who I am, I'm the one who's going to slay you."

Ben slowly reached for the Omnitrix, only to freeze when the arrow went past his head, only mere millimeters away.

"All of you don't move unless I say so," Wes said while drawing another arrow from his quiver.

_Why does this stuff keep happening to me?_ Ben asked himself mentally while looking at the hunter.

* * *

Airi was silent as she looked at the oddly dressed man who introduced himself as Professor Paradox.

"What do you want with me?" the wraith asked skeptically.

"To simply engage in conversation with you," Paradox replied.

"I fail to see what we can converse about exactly," Airi said with a frown.

"Actually there is one thing," Paradox said. "How well are you familiar of the myths of your world?"

"I know several, but why ask such a pointless question?"

"There's always some grain of truth in every myth," Paradox said cryptically.

Airi fell silent, unsure how to respond. As if knowing what was on the wraith's mind, Paradox continued.

"I know you are pretty acquainted with Ben, enough that you're questioning your own actions after speaking to him not long ago."

"How do you know that?!" Airi blurted out as her eyes widened in disbelief.

"I know lots of things. It comes with existing out of time and space," Paradox replied calmly.

"Are you a friend of Ben?" the wraith asked.

"I am, or rather, I will be in a few years time. It's so hard to keep track of time sometimes," the Time Walker said while holding his chin.

"Then why haven't you helped Ben get back home?" Airi asked while glaring at Paradox.

"Several reasons, my dear Airi. First off, young Ben doesn't even know I exist, and he mustn't until the time is right," he explained. "Secondly, I cannot interfere with the timeline unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Well are you doing that by talking with me?" she asked.

"Up until today, everything has been going on as it should. I have little choice but to talk to you to set history back on course."

"I do not fully understand what you're talking about," the wraith said. "What do you want me to do?"

"You are well aware of what to do already," Paradox said with a smile. "Besides, I can't tell you anymore."

Airi frowned, her mind figuring out what to do next.

Paradox held out the bag of gumballs again.

"Would you like one?" he asked before taking one out and putting it into his mouth.

Airi simply nodded and reached for the bag, taking out two gumballs, one red, the other green.

"I'll save it for later. Thank you for your hospitality," she said humbly before sliding off the branch, floating in the air now.

"I take it you're leaving then," Paradox said while putting the bag away. "I wish you the best of luck, Airi."

"Farewell," the wraith simply said before taking off, leaving the Time Walker alone.

Once out of range, Paradox chuckled in amusement.

"I'll definitely need to keep an eye on this Ben. To think he's so popular with the ladies for his age. Usually it's when he's at least fifteen that this sort of thing happens," he mused before vanishing in a flash of white light.

* * *

Elina was dumbfounded as she returned from a stream, only to find her entire party slaughtered.

The younger Vance sister had set out on orders to look for her elder sister Leina to bring her back home, only to fail miserably in finding her.

Her long, light blonde hair glistened in the moonlight while her blue eyes surveyed the sight before her. She was wearing her regular attire of a metal bikini top with the parts covering her breasts with a silver trim and a white vest with black tiger stripes. The high-ended vest was open in the front, exposing her torso but closed up downwards at an inward angle into front and rear tassels with her black panties exposed. Her left hand was encased within a silver gauntlet tipped with blue claws while her right arm was covered in a black glove that covered her arm up to the elbow. Giving her outfit a cat-like appearance was the silver headband she wore, with had two triangular protrusions shaped like the ears of a cat.

"Elina, nice to see you again after so many years," a voice said from above the girl's head. "Though I guess it's the first time for you."

"Are you responsible for this?" Elina questioned while clutching her metal spear.

"I was bored, and remembering they were from the Vance Family, I decided to have some fun with them. Though I expected your men to put up more of a fight," the Bloody Hunter said casually while shifting on the tree branch he sat on, looking down.

Elina looked up as the future Ben lazily tinkered with a deep purple device attached to his right arm. He then pressed a button and held out his hand as a small vortex opened in front of it. He then pulled out his sword and slowly pushed it inside the vortex, disappearing from view before reaching in without hesitation.

Elina watched as the boy apparently felt around inside the vortex. A few seconds later, the hand was withdrawn, this time brandishing a different sword. The blade resembled a broadsword with the sharpened edges being scarlet in coloration.

"Here it is," the Bloody Hunter said before the portal vanished. He then slipped off the branch and landed on the ground in a crouch before rising. He looked at Elina before bowing politely. "I am the Bloody Hunter."

"I do not know what sorcery you've used, but you failed to intimidate me, boy," Elina said callously.

The future Ben only grinned maniacally before reaching for his blindfold and pulling it off, revealing his eyes as they glowed in the darkness.

"I've forgotten that you were such a cold sadistic bitch," he said before pointing his sword at her. "I am going to enjoy breaking you in all over again."

"Like to see you try," Elina challenged while readying herself for combat.

The psycho laughed before tightening his grip on the sword in his left hand while reaching for the Ultimatrix with his right hand.

"Let's dance, Kitty." he said before slamming his hand down on the raised core of the Ultimatrix.

Elina was briefly blinded by a flash of light before she felt a something hard and blunt connecting with her chest.

A scarlet, teenage Shiftlash laughed as he retracted his arm and ran towards his opponent.

"Better keep on your toes if you don't want to be humiliated," he taunted.

Elina remained quiet as her eyesight readjusted to the moonlight. She quickly glanced down, noticing that part of the tiger striped fabric she wore began to dissolve.

"You must think that won't be enough, and I agree. You see, my current form is an exact duplicate of the Protean Assassin, Melona. That means I have her strengths and weaknesses," the scarlet Shiftlash explained while shouldering his sword. "I love this form the most. "

The slime chuckled as Elina's spear pierced him right through the chest where the heart would've been.

"Bravo, a kill shot on the first strike," he complimented her before smirking. "A pity though that it was a pointless attempt. I'm a slime right now, even decapitation will not silence me."

Elina leapt back while withdrawing her weapon from the Bloody Hunter. The blonde attempted to strike at her opponent several times, only to have him parry the blows with his sword.

The slime grinned before reaching for the Ultimatrix.

"Enough toying around. Since I don't want to hurt you physically, I guess it's time for Ultimate Shiftlash," he said before pressing the device, having it produce four spikes and generating a flash of light that engulfed his body.

* * *

A heavily bruised Ben growled in anger as he tugged at his restraints that bound him to a tree as Wes smirked at his handiwork. Cerate groaned in pain as she laid face down. The Gal Monster's outfit was ripped in many places, threatening to fall apart and leaving her indecent at any moment. Stella however was in a similar position as Ben, only with her tail also restrained to prevent her escape while having a cut present on her midriff.

"Why are you stooping to such cowardice?" Cerate asked weakly while raising her head, revealing her face to be covered in various bruises, including a black eye. She rose from the ground, grimacing in pain before sitting on her knees. The Gal Monster looked at her tormenter defiantly before getting up to her feet.

"You just don't know when to quit, wench," Wes commented before swinging his knife once again, cutting into the Gal Monster's right arm as it was raised to defend herself.

Cerate hissed in pain as the blade sliced through her skin with ease diagonally. Blood seeped through before dripping to the ground, further making the Gal Monster weaker.

"You're so pathetic…" the hunter mocked before reaching for his quiver, pulling out an arrow before grasping it with the arrowhead pointing downwards. He then raised it above his head. "Now die!"

Cerate smirked before lunging forward, tackling Wes to the ground with all her strength. The man grunted as he was knocked down to the ground.

"I AM NOT LETTING YOU KILL MY MASTER!" the Gal Monster screamed as she began punching her enemy in the face repeatedly as hard as she could. However, from the amount of blood she lost, her punches were only a fraction of their usual force, only equaling the strength of an average man's at that moment.

After a few moments, Cerate's assault slowed down from the building exhaustion. The Gal Monster grabbed the knife and arrow before rising to her feet, turning towards Ben.

"Master… are you okay?" she asked while staggering over to the brunet. Once close enough, she used the knife to cut through the rope, releasing her master's arms.

"I should be asking you that," Ben said while smiling. "You really took a beating there."

The blonde smiled back before offering Ben the knife handle first, who tensed at the sight of the all too familiar weapon. After a few moments of silence, Cerate spoke.

"Master, please don't let fear take hold of you," she said softly.

After she spoke the blonde screamed in pain as an arrow struck her in the back of her left shoulder.

"You never turn your back on the enemy," Wes said while rearming his bow. Blood oozed from his now broken nose and split lip.

Cerate looked over her shoulder and growled.

"You bastard…" she said venomously before taking the knife and crudely throwing it at the hunter.

Wes flinched as the blade twirled past his head, giving the Gal Monster the opportunity to charge forward and grabbed the bow with both hands. The blonde roared as loud as she could, leaving Wes stunned from the close proximity of the ear-splitting roar.

"Master, change now!" Cerate pleaded before she pried the bow out of Wes's grip.

"LET ME AT HIM TOO!" Stella cried out while pulling at the restraints as hard as possible.

Ben reached for the Omnitrix, activating it before slamming his hand down on the raised dial. In a flash of light, Shiftlash appeared before he stretched out both his arms in two different directions.

His left hand produced the acid laden talons that he used to cut through Stella's restraints. The twin-tailed blonde grinned before she ran towards Wes and lowered herself into a slide, knocking him off his feet with her tail.

Before the hunter fell down, the mace that was Shiftlash's right arm connected with his chest, sending him flying into a tree. Wes coughed up some blood upon impact before the mace was pulled back, allowing him to fall to the ground.

"Stella, look after Cerate. I'll settle this," the slime said while looking over at the spike-tailed Gal Monster.

"But I can't let him…" Stella said before falling silent upon seeing her master's face. She then nodded silently and went over towards Cerate, who slumped to her knees.

"Master…" the weakened blonde said softly.

"You can call me whatever you want," Shiftlash said flatly as he walked over towards Wes while his eyes began to glow slightly.

"You can leave as many cuts and bruises on my body as you desire… You can even take my life if you wish. But as long as I breathe, no one is going to hurt my friends like you did and get away with it!"

As he spoke, the slime's mace hand morphed to match the left. The acid began to drip from the tips, the droplets dissolving the ground upon contact.

"I am not going to kill you," Shiftlash said to Wes with an austere look. "I also really don't want to do this to anyone… but you've taught me something that is very important. That doing the right thing will not always be the correct way to resolve things."

Shiftlash grasped Wes' wrists, and the hunter began screaming in pain as the acid slowly burned away at the flesh. After a few moments, the slime stopped secreting the acid before using his slime to absorb the rest that was on the hunter's wounds. The slime then jabbed his claws into the ground right next to his tormenter's head.

"Leave and never come after us ever again, or else I'll do far worse than what I just did," he threatened before withdrawing his hand.

Wes began trembling in fear. He never thought that the boy was capable of restraining himself. He was able to tell in his eyes that the so-called "demon" wanted to do far worse to him, but didn't.

Shiftlash got off of the hunter and turned his back to him while walking over towards the Gal Monsters. He paused to look over his shoulder to see Wes scrambling to his feet and running into the forest while grimacing in pain from the burn marks on his wrists, leaving his bow and knife behind. He then twisted around and held out his arm while it turned into an arm cannon. He aimed upwards before firing several acid "mortars" in Wes' direction.

All three of them remained silent as they watched the projectiles explode upon impact with the ground, the acid spraying across the foliage. However, no smoke emanated from where the acid was as it oozed to the ground.

"MY CLOTHES!" Wes' voice screamed in disbelief from the distance.

Shiftlash chuckled evilly while smirking in slight satisfaction.

"What did you do?" Stella questioned while helping Cerate stand.

"Just used a special acid I discovered a while back. Totally harmless…" the slime replied before grinning.

Cerate frowned while glaring at that.

"Yeah… it's harmless, but it eats away at any clothing like no tomorrow," she muttered weakly.

Stella blushed deeply upon hearing Cerate.

"We must never allow him to use that again…_**EVER**_!"

* * *

The Bloody Hunter sighed as he walked on the well worn road, once again brandishing the current Queen's sword in his left hand while carrying an unconscious (and nude) Elina over his right shoulder.

"To think your future self posed more of a challenge…" he muttered in disappointment. "It shouldn't be that surprising, since you're the weakest of the three sisters after all."

"Huh? What do we have here?" a voice asked from the left.

"I wonder how long it's been for me, Melona," the blindfolded teen said with a smirk.

The slime emerged transformed from the bush she disguised herself as with a curious look on her face.

"You look a lot like someone I know about," she commented. "Are you his brother?"

The future Ben chuckled softly before turning to face Melona.

"If you mean Ben Tennyson, I'm him five years in the future," he replied before putting his sword into the ground. "You know I never thanked you for sending that damn hunter after me. That was the starting point of my descent into the shadows. Those were some good times."

Melona looked at the teen skeptically. "What are you getting at?" she asked.

The Bloody Hunter chuckled once again before raising his free hand up to pull up the blindfold, revealing his eyes.

"I wish to employ your services. I can break you free of the Swamp Witch's control, as well as evolve your powers," he offered. "I know how things turn out for you. And I'll say this much. You make a very delectable snack for Shiftlash."

Melona glared at the teen.

"What do you mean by 'evolving my powers' exactly? I am already the best there is," she boasted arrogantly. "There's nothing that could devour me at all."

"I know you were forced to retreat after you were humiliated by a certain little kid when he used your own powers against you," the future Ben stated with a smirk. "That and he's actually more resourceful."

Melona gritted her teeth in anger. "Are you mocking me?" she questioned while clenching her fists.

The Bloody Hunter shook his head before tapping his forehead with a finger.

"I'm not, only speaking from experience," he replied calmly before smiling. "Anyway, how would you like to actually become immune to the few things that can actually kill you?"

The slime fell silent as she calmed down.

"I'm listening…" she said.

A maniacal smirk formed on the Bloody Hunter's face before he brought a hand up and spanked Elina's rear.

"A few things. First off, I need your help in humiliating this little bitch to the point that she is broken. Second, I need you to tell me what the Swamp Witch is up to with my younger self…"

Melona grinned as she listened to what the teen requested. The last part especially made her eager to accept the deal.

"I can do all that, especially doing that to Airi," the slime said.

* * *

Ben was fast asleep besides the campfire while the two Gal Monsters were away from him, whispering amongst themselves.

"What do you think we should do about letting others know we belong to Master?" Cerate asked with a frown.

"Good question… I heard some of our kind get branded like livestock with their master's emblem," Stella pointed out before noticing the perverse grin on the other blonde's face. "Wait… don't tell me you're actually considering doing that…"

Cerate snapped out of her brief fantasy as a little blood began to dribble down from her nose.

"I wouldn't think of such a thing!" she denied hastily.

"You're becoming such a pervert," the twin-tailed blonde said dryly.

Cerate averted her gaze before drawing in the loose dirt with her finger.

"Anyway, I think we should attempt to have something that can be seen as Master's emblem…" she muttered while drawing a large circle.

Stella paused to think for a moment before looking at the doodle.

"Do you think that design on the Omnitrix would work?" she asked.

The red-eyed Gal Monster looked down at her doodle before drawing in the hourglass design inside it. The pair looked at the symbol meticulously before looking at their bodies in various spots.

"I actually like the Yummytrick's design. But do you think it'd look best on my ass?" Cerate asked. "I wouldn't mind it if Master placed one there."

Stella facepalmed herself and sighed.

"You have always been an idiot… and now I know you're a perverted one," she muttered under her breath.

Unbeknownst to the pair, three separate pairs of eyes observed them from different directions.

* * *

Professor Paradox sighed as he stood on the roof of the Queen's Castle.

"To think that Eon would play such a role that is so important in this world's history that I cannot interfere with it," he said out loud.

"I must agree with you there," a familiar voice said from behind him.

"I see you've figured out how to use that device, Ben," Paradox said while turning around to face the Bloody Hunter.

"And I guess you've seen my handiwork already," he said while smirking.

"Shame you are necessary as well…" the Time Walker said with a slight frown. "If I was able to, I personally would have brought you back home the moment Eon brought you here, to prevent you from becoming what you are now."

The future Ben laughed before shouldering his sword.

"You mean me becoming the King?" he asked. "Or is it my hand in influencing the result of the Rebellion?"

"…It's everything," Paradox replied after pausing for a moment. "I can't allow you to interfere with the course of this world's history for your own gain."

"I'm simply doing what is necessary to progress the flow of history. No harm done there. " the Bloody Hunter said while grinning. " Though I will admit that my acquisition of Elina was for personal reasons. "

"To think you of all people made her that way…" Paradox said with a frown. "You were not satisfied with what you did to your own cousin?"

"Gwen was the only one that could've actually stopped me. The only option that I had to survive was to break her in. Killing Kevin in front of her really helped me a lot," the future Ben said without a shred of guilt present in his voice. "You'd do anything to survive when you are near death. I was in such a situation when I got an Ectonurite corpse trapped inside my body."

"I am well aware of that," Paradox said.

"Anyway, I must be going. I have stuff to do, and don't worry, I won't tell the kid about you. I myself understand the results of altering necessary history like that," the Bloody Hunter replied with a smirk. "Hope to speak to you again soon."

With that, the future Ben touched the armband on his right arm, being engulfed in a flash of violet light as he vanished.

Paradox only shook his head.

"I, for one, would not look forward to it," he said solemnly. "For where I stand under this midnight sky… I am forced to be mainly be a spectator of this twisted story… But I will do whatever I can to help Ben."

* * *

Ben groaned as he awoke from his slumber. His eyes adjusted to the faint light that came from the dying embers of the fire. His body still ached in pain from earlier. The brunet looked to see Cerate and Stella fast asleep nearby him and the fire. Stella was curled up into a ball with her tail curled upwards, sound asleep while Cerate however, was sprawled all over the place, snoring loudly on occasion as drool went down the corner of her mouth.

Ben grumbled before hearing in between the snores the soft rustling of a nearby bush before turning his head to the left.

A pair of Cerates poked their heads out and looked at the boy in curiosity.

"Woah… Cerate… Stella… we got company," the boy said while looking at the pair.

The pair of Gal Monsters he owned awoke.

"You better have a good reason for waking me up…" Cerate yawned before looking over at the others of her race before frowning. "Oh… what brings you two here?"

"We were just on our way when we heard an all to familiar snoring," one of the other Cerates replied.

"Who's the boy?" the other asked while pointing to the only boy. "Is he good in a fight?"

Ben groaned as he covered his face with his hand.

_Do they all think the same way?_

* * *

Wes panted heavily as he staggered in the direction of the town of Vosk. His hands lost all function below his wounds, becoming utterly useless to him. His clothes were almost gone, and what remained barely preserved his modesty.

"Such a shame you failed so badly, Wes," Melona's voice said as she came out of hiding.

The hunter chuckled dryly as he smirked.

"Indeed. I guess you came here to punish me for failure," he said before leaning his back against a tree, offering no resistance towards the voluptuous slime.

Melona shook her head and smirked.

"You aren't even worth torturing. Although… I can do something _else_ for you, " the slime said before starting to transform.

Her figure began shrinking in mass, becoming someone who was excessively malnourished, resulting in a mummified appearance. The nose retreated into the head with the ears, leaving holes in their place.

The lips gave way, revealing a maw of yellow curved fangs, while the eyes vanished into the head while an eerie green light came from deep inside the empty eye sockets as the eyelids vanished.

The fingers elongated, becoming spindly while the tips transformed into talons. The torso lost all traces of feminine traits, only leaving a torso where every rib could be seen without any difficulty through the thin flesh. The center of the creature's chest produced the Ultimatrix with its four spikes protruding.

Wes stepped back in horror at the sight of the ghoulish figure that was Ultimate Shiftlash. The evolved slime opened his mouth, revealing two more rows of teeth as his jaw unhinged and separated in the middle, expanding his mouth to a length that allowed him to swallow the man whole without difficulty before screeching at the hunter in an earsplitting pitch.

Wes screamed as one of his eardrums was ruptured, forcing him to cover the injured ear with his shoulder.

Ultimate Shiftlash's mouth closed before he chuckled.

"I wonder what I should do with you next," he said gleefully before walking over towards the hunter. Once close enough, he leaned forwards and inhaled deeply through the holes for nostrils.

"Mmmm… You actually smell pretty delicious…" he said hungrily.

The Bloody Hunter opened his mouth and clamped down on Wes's shoulder before jerking his head back, ripping off a chunk of flesh. He then tilted his head upwards and swallowed the chunk of flesh like a crocodile. Wes screamed as blood spurted from his newest wound as the slime opened his mouth and bit down into the hunter's left arm next.

Ultimate Shiftlash relished the man's screams as he swallowed once again. He then proceeded to take a few more bites out of his victim's left arm, savoring the metallic taste of blood that coated his entire mouth. He then looked at the wounds, some of which now exposed the hunter's bones due to how deep he bit down. Blood oozed profusely from the series of bite wounds, causing Wes to lose his coloring at a quick pace.

"That should be enough," he said before morphing into a form that greatly resembled his younger self. "As much as I want to kill you, I need you to go tell Her Majesty that the Bloody Hunter has arrived, and she has two options: either for her to submit to me, or to become nothing more than a heap of gore."

Wes whimpered as the future Ben grinned sadistically before turning back to his previous state. He held out a hand as sparks of electricity began to build up, becoming more frequent by the second. The evolved slime then stretched his arm and grasped Wes' leg.

"This is going to hurt like hell for a moment," he said before discharging the built up charge of electricity in his arm into the hunter, incapacitating him on the spot. When he released his grip, part of his victim's skin was singed.

Ultimate Shiftlash returned to his regular form before turning back to normal within two flashes of green light. The Bloody Hunter turned around and left the unconscious Wes.

"My work here is done for now. Eon's plans will start unraveling soon enough," he said in satisfaction. "I can't wait for the festivities I have planned to start. Ben against Ben, Good and Evil working together, worlds against worlds. Various pasts, presents, and futures colliding in one area. So much bloodshed is for certain once I join the fray. All I need now is for the instigator to activate the Queen's Gate to make the first contact. I may be able to travel through time and dimensions like Eon and Paradox, but I am very limited to how far I can go either way. Who knows what unusual allies they will bring? Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

A crazed grin formed on his face before breaking into a fit of maniacal laughter as he disappeared into the foliage.

* * *

**Converse Corner**

**Blazorna**: Only one of you guys actually asked a question for this section.

**Q**: When is Menace going to appear?

A: She is set to appear within the next three chapters.

That' s it for questions… Keep in mind, I don't want to involve Bigby and Pyro with this every chapter, as they are both very busy with other stuff. Therefore, you, the readers, are going to be an important source of questions for here. You can ask just about anything, but I will put down some rules. First off, nothing that compromises my identity or where I am. Secondly: I may not answer your question if it pertains to spoilers for the plot of Misplaced Hero. Clarification of events that happened are allowed, but some details may be withheld.

Before I call it a day, I got a few new crossover challenges for those interested, each with a basic idea for the plot. Keep in mind, some of these involve classic series that people who grew up in the 1990's would recognize.

Bionicle and Ben 10 crossover: Thanks to Vezon's lack of control of the Kanohi Olmak that's merged to his face, Lewa and Gali Nuva wind up on Earth. To find a way back, the two Toa must find the deranged idiot who brought them there with Ben's help. Two problems though… Lewa and Gali speak different languages, and a Makuta from another reality is on the loose.

Ben 10 and Black Rock Shooter (BRS: The Game universe): Paradox sends Ben to an alternate reality, tasked with helping a living weapon named Stella in defeating the Seven Apostles and their Armament army, all in order to protect the last of humanity from extinction. However, one of the Apostles, XNFE (Nafe), becomes interested in Ben after he rescues her from an Armament that tries to capture her after she is defeated by him. With nowhere else to go, she defects, aligning herself with Ben.

Animorphs and Ben 10 UA: When Ben's secret is exposed to the world, the Yeerks target him as a host. However the Animorphs make contact with Ben and the others, and tell them of the hidden invasion that was going on under his nose. Now Ben can't trust anyone he knows, as they could be controlled by the enemy. With nowhere to hide, Ben and company have no choice but to run and fight, not only to save the world, but to avoid having alien slugs entering their ears to hijack their own bodies.

Ben 10 and RWBY: After the Ultimatrix was given to Azmuth and receiving the new Omnitrix, Paradox sends Ben to Beacon Academy in the RWBY universe to learn how to fight better and for another reason that he doesn't speak about. Until he could be on a team of his own, Ben is placed in team RWBY, despite there already being four members. However, things take a turn for the worst when Albedo shows up, once again in possession of the Ultimatrix.

If you're interested in doing any of those challenges, just let me know. I will also greatly appreciate it if you check out my newest poll, which is up already. Regardless of the results, it won't affect the overall plot. Also, if you have the time, please leave a review, especially with what your thoughts are towards Ultimate Shiftlash and the Bloody Hunter as of this chapter.

Once again, thanks for reading and continued support, and I hope to see you all next chapter.


	8. You Dolt!

**You Dolt!**

* * *

Cerate was smiling profoundly the following morning. She jabbed her fists experimentally, trying out her new horns the best she could due to her injuries. She was wearing a fresh new set of clothes and armor, replacing the ones she lost after her fight with Airi.

Ben watched the Gal Monster while Stella was using a whetstone to sharpen her sword's serrated edge. The Cerates that the trio encountered the previous night were from the band that the twin-tailed blonde traveled with previously.

"So, what brings you guys here?" Stella asked the Cerates.

"We're out looking for horns for some of the children back home. They're getting old enough to begin training," one of them replied before looking over to the one that Ben owned. "To think one of us was so careless to lose her armor and horns."

"They were damaged beyond repair after I fought the Infernal Temptress!" Cerate countered. "She is as powerful as the stories say she is."

The pair of doppelgangers both looked at their fellow Gal Monster in silence.

"Cerate, don't you dare start anything," Stella warned her comrade. "We lost enough time for training already. Speaking of which…"

The twin-tailed blonde turned her attention towards Ben, who instinctively gulped.

The pair of Cerates only looked at each other before they left, neither wanting to get involved.

* * *

Nyx sobbed behind her gag, still bound to the tree. Hex had left her once he finished his ritual, with Funikura still in his possession. The former servant of the Vance family had set out on a journey in order to not only exact revenge on her chief tormentor, Elina, but to bring justice, although she did more harm than good. The staff that molested her as punishment gave her the confidence needed, but now without it, she believed she was nothing.

The brunette closed her eyes and recalled what the magician told her.

'Perhaps… Perhaps that man was speaking the truth…' she thought.

"WAAAAAAHHH!" a voice cried out from behind Nyx, prompting her to open her eyes.

Ben flew through the air, going past the bound woman and landed in the water with a large splash. The young boy rose to the surface, floating limp and face-down as several bubbles came up around his head.

"You really need to work on your defense," Stella said as she came into view, her sword resting on her right shoulder.

Nyx's eyes widened upon seeing the blade, immediately fearing for her life. She heard the sound of splashing followed by a gasp as Ben snapped out of his daze and bringing his head out of the water frantically.

"What was that for?" Ben asked Stella in anger. However, his expression changed upon noticing Nyx.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked while moving towards the bound woman.

Stella turned her attention to where Ben was looking at and her eyes widened slightly upon recognizing the woman.

"Stay away from her, she's dangerous," she warned him while pointing her sword at the older woman. "She's Nyx, someone who uses fire magic mercilessly on opponents."

Ben looked at Stella and then towards Nyx, who looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I'll take my chances," he said before activating the Omnitrix, transforming into Shiftlash.

The slime turned his hands into talons, causing Nyx to close her eyes in fear. She felt the cool slime caress her cheeks underneath the root that gagged her before she felt the pressure against her mouth be relieved. She then felt the rest of her restraints falling off her. She opened her eyes to see Shiftlash taking care to cut through the last of the restraints that bound her.

What Nyx heard next dumbfounded her.

"Are you alright?" the transformed Ben asked in concern.

* * *

The Bloody Hunter sighed as he rested on the upper branch of a tree, blindfold moved upwards with his eyes focused upon a small photograph that he held in his hand.

The image was of him at fifteen years old with two three-year-old girls who looked exactly like Cerate and Stella smiling happily while sitting on his lap. The Ben in the image was smiling too, obviously enjoying the children's company.

"You know, there's only one thing that I regret," he said solemnly, "and that was what cost me my family. "

Melona, in her slime form, slithered up the tree to join the future Ben. She wrapped herself around the boy, who gave no protest. Once settled, the slime formed the upper half of her body behind his back, smiling slightly.

"Your family?" she questioned while wrapping her arms around the boy's neck.

"Man, I was really chewed out by Grandpa Max and Dad when they learned that I was a father. You see, when I found a way home, I brought Cerate and Stella with me. One day, we tried out this strange drink Grandpa Max made at Cerate's insistence. Apparently, it had had something in it to make me and the girls drunk. He left us alone, and I don't recall what happened exactly. However I ended up having two eggs laid two weeks later. Never thought my children would come from them."

"I never pegged you to be so sentimental about the past," Melona interjected.

"Yeah, I may enjoy chaos and death as the next person, but I am still human after all," the teen admitted before frowning.

"Are any of them alive still?" the slime asked out of curiosity.

"No… Vilgax personally made sure that I saw them all four of them die in front of me," he said while rage began to show in his eyes while the irises began to glow slightly. "That was when I first killed someone…Also want to point out that his head makes a really good trophy. "

Melona nodded and looked at the Bloody Hunter's eyes.

"At least you managed to move on," she quipped.

The brunet chuckled softly, calming down before grinning.

"I agree. Usually when one loses what matters the most, they are devastated," he admitted. "For some, it is impossible to move on in life. I was strong enough to go on, but not without becoming 'damaged' first."

"I recall you saying that you are going to help that younger you follow in your footsteps," Melona recollected. "Are you going to kill his Gal Monsters?"

"No… it must happen naturally. I may be more direct with my involvement, but I will not directly interact with the younger Ben without a very good reason. His future is my past after all," the Bloody Hunter replied calmly. " However, I will change some things to make things progress faster."

Melona looked down at the ground at the bound Elina as she squirmed, attempting to break free of her rope restraints.

"What about that little Vance girl?" she asked.

"She's going to be nothing more than a toy once she's broken in," he replied casually. "Elina is one of the girls who plays an important role in the future, one worth having control over."

Melona smirked in interest as she watched the blonde girl struggle more.

* * *

Nyx sat close to Ben, easily unnerved by the glares given to her by Cerate and Stella. The boy was blushing slightly by the close proximity.

"So…you were attacked by Skullface, and he stole your staff," Cerate recapped. "He then used his magic to bind you and restore this second staff of his?"

Nyx nodded once while Ben looked at the woman in curiosity.

"Nyx, they're not going to hurt you. They're just cautious," he reassured her with a smile. "Besides, I won't let them."

The woman looked at the boy and smiled slightly, becoming more at ease now.

"Thank you Ben," she said with a nod. "I am grateful for all you've done for me so far."

"I'm just your average superhero, comes with the job," Ben boasted.

Everyone looked at Ben in confusion.

"What's a superhero?" Stella asked.

Ben face-palmed and groaned.

"Why do I keep forgetting that people here don't know that word?" he muttered under his breath.

While he removed his hand, he noticed a pair of golden yellow eyes looking in his direction from within a bush. The eyes were filled with childlike curiosity. The brunet pretended to not notice, turning his attention towards Nyx.

The pair of eyes blinked before vanishing from sight as their owner moved elsewhere.

* * *

Airi stood at the edge of the desert where the ruins of the ancient city of Amara were. The wraith was deep in thought, still mulling over her conversation with Paradox, specifically once certain line.

"'There's always some grain of truth in every myth,'" she recited to herself, "Let's see… most of the myths I know revolve around the underworld and demons… None of those would really be of use to me. Although… there is the one about a relic that allowed travel to different worlds… wait… Ben said he came from a different world…"

The redhead's eyes widened in realization.

"The Queen's Gate… It might be the only lead to get Ben back home," she said. "If such a thing actually exists or there being someone who possesses knowledge of that subject."

The wraith smiled as she nodded to herself.

"I guess this is the point of no return for me," she said before walking off into the desert. "Forgive me Mistress, but my debt to you has been fulfilled."

The wraith pulled out the red gumball and looked at it briefly before placing it into her mouth. As she began to chew the gumball, her eyes looked upwards upon seeing a shadow nearby her. Her eyes squinted slightly as she made out the silhouette of what appeared to be an angel. Realizing that the angel was actually descending towards her, the wraith frowned in discontent.

"Of all the times…" the wraith muttered to herself before she summoned her scythe, wary of what the angel wanted with a denizen of the Underworld like herself.

* * *

Two hours passed after the Cerates left the group, needing to return their camp. After they said their farewells, Ben decided it was time to continue on. However, not everyone was pleased with their newest travel companion.

"I still think this is a bad idea," Stella said bitterly while looking over at Nyx.

"She said it herself that she can't do anything without that Funny Killer staff of hers," Cerate said. "Besides if she tries something, we can take her down easily."

"It's Funikura, you dolt!" Stella corrected her fellow Gal Monster.

"Do you always have to insult me every moment you get?"

"You better shut up or else I'm kicking your damned ass, pea brain."

"Is that your answer for everything?!"

"It's more effective than you criticizing all the time!"

"Do they always argue like that?" Nyx asked Ben.

"Not always," Ben admitted before he activated the Omnitrix. He switched his dial and slammed his palm down on it, intending to stop his Gal Monsters before a fight broke out.

However, no flash of light appeared as the raised core remained in place. Ben frowned and pushed down on the device.

"Come on you stupid watch… work for me…" he muttered before starting to bite down on the rim of the faceplate. As he gnawed on the alien device, Stella and Cerate were growling at one another, their bodies poised to lunge at each other at any second.

Nyx, unsure of what to do, only watched the sight before her.

Frustrated at this point, Ben went over towards a nearby tree and began slamming the Omnitrix against it. After several solid strikes, the raised portion finally was forced back down, initiating the transformation. Within a flash of light, Wildmutt took his place.

Nyx was taken back by the unfamiliar form the boy turned into, while the Gal Monsters ignored their surroundings.

Wildmutt growled, his frustration that was intensified by the watch turning him into a form he didn't want. The Vulpimancer went over towards the Gal Monsters before turning around and kicking dirt in their direction.

"What the hell?!" Cerate said while she and Stella raised their arms up to shield their faces from the dirt. "Why'd you do that for, Master?"

"Are you trying to blind us?" Stella added.

Wildmutt stopped and turned around with a smirk. As his gill-like nostrils on his neck opened up to breathe, he picked up the scent of two strangers that were not to far from the group. The Vulpimancer growled while turning his head in the direction of one of them.

Cerate, the one who was familiar with what Wildmutt could do, frowned and looked at Stella.

"We got company…" she announced before turning to speak to the alien. "I'll check that way."

Wildmutt nodded before turning to the opposite direction and bolted that way. Cerate went as well while Stella drew her sword and stayed with Nyx.

"Stay close to me," she warned the older woman.

"U-Understood," Nyx said submissively

A few minutes passed after Wildmutt and Cerate vanished into the forest. Stella and Nyx held their breaths, waiting for any form of attack.

"EEEYYYAAHHH!" a loud scream cried out from Wildmutt's direction, scaring away the birds in the area.

A girl of twelve years with black hair ran into view. She was wearing a short blue dress with a thick vertical stripe of a light blue going down the front, with the skirt with multiple protrusions located at the sides of her waist. Her legs were donning white stockings that had a blue horizontal zigzagging edge that complimented the bottom half of her dress while her feet were within a pair of shoes that were white with a grayish tint while blue was present on the soles and heels. Her arms wore detached sleeves that were the same style as the stockings, however, they ended with blue armbands that connected to a pair of fingerless gloves that each had three protruding metal blades at her knuckles, emulating claws. She wore a white cape with dark blue highlights that split into two tails that each had a row of sharpened adornments that resembled spearheads. Completing her outfit were a pair of metal hairclips that were present on both sides of her head.

The girl's large golden eyes were filled with fear as she ran, tears threatening to escape at any moment.

"Tino!" Stella called upon recognizing the girl. The black-haired girl noticed the Gal Monster and ran straight to her.

"Stella!" the young girl, Tino, cried in response before hiding behind the blonde, trembling as she continued speaking. "Help me! A scary monster is after me!"

Stella held her sword and looked around, waiting for the enemy to show up. She tensed up when she heard some rustling from the bushes, only to relax upon seeing Wildmutt emerging from them.

Tino squeaked in fear and buried her face behind Stella.

"It's okay, he's not going to hurt you," the blonde reassured the younger girl in a soft tone. "He's my master."

Tino timidly peered from Stella's left, only to squeak in fear and retreat back behind her upon seeing Wildmutt.

"H-He's scary…" she whimpered.

Stella couldn't help but turn around and pet the black-haired girl on the top of her head gently to calm her down.

* * *

Hex ignored the stares he was getting as he walked through the streets of the capital. He carried his original staff, restored to its original state, in hand. Funikura moved its eye around, surveying its surroundings. The living staff acclimated to Hex's magic, no longer being in pain whenever the magician called upon its powers.

The previous night taught the staff that its newest owner was far too powerful for it to overwhelm in the same manner it did with Nyx. In response to its attempt of taking control, the magician shocked it into submission. Despite this setback, Funikura sensed that Hex held the staff with some degree of respect, especially after it used its nectar to restore his body into peak physical condition.

The cyclopean weapon had wrapped its tentacles around Hex's right arm and torso, freeing the magician of his hand for other tasks. The way Funikura positioned itself made many think that it was a piece of armor, with the head resting comfortably on the top of Hex's shoulder with the scarlet eye looking from the side.

Hex stopped as he saw Eon from the corner of his eye. He turned his head and confirmed that the Chronian was indeed there. The magician walked over.

"How are you progressing with my request?" the Chronian asked.

"I have yet to begin. The living staff needed time to become accustomed to my magic," Hex explained while glancing over at the staff that was coiled around his arm. "That and to discipline it."

Eon chuckled softly upon hearing the last part.

"That staff has not encountered someone like yourself before. You have the Keystone of Bezel, therefore the task of keeping Funikura in line is much easier for you," Eon said before he glanced at the staff. "Though it wouldn't have been an issue to begin with."

Funikura twisted its head forward to look back at the alien with a calculating gaze.

Eon held out his hand, producing two different stones with markings on it with a necklace-like sash similar to the one he wore with the original charms, although the fabric was black.

"I did promise you that you shall get the Charms as well, but not all at once," he explained.

"I understand," Hex replied calmly while taking the two Charms of Bezel from the Chronian.

"Funikura shall further enhance the Charm of Pyrokinesis in conjunction with the Keystone. The Charm of Electrokinesis should help you greatly against two of the more powerful warriors of this world," Eon explained while Hex fastened the mentioned charms to the sash before removing his cloak to put it on.

"I greatly appreciate your assistance," the magician said before smirking. "However, you will be a fool to underestimate my strength."

"I am not. I am taking every precaution possible to ensure your success," the time traveler replied calmly. "However, I must express that Claudette, known as Lord of the Thundercloud, is the most dangerous adversary in this world. She is capable of summoning lightning from a distance, and is highly proficient fighting up close as well."

Hex listened intently to what Eon had to say. After being thwarted twice by a young girl and her family, the magician learned to become better prepared for his plans.

* * *

"The Master Magician… The Brutal Conqueror… The False Ghost… The Time Stopper…" The Bloody Hunter said out loud with a smirk. "I think those will be suitable titles for Eon and his cronies during their stay here."

Melona turned to look at him as she had her way with Elina. The blonde was trying hard to hold back her tears, going as far as to bite her lip till she drew blood. Her arms were bound against her back by the slime's second set of pink hands that usually covered her breasts.

"Usually those who enter the Queen's Blade are given one by the Angels, that's if they don't have one already," Melona explained before leaning forward to grope Elina's breasts.

"I know that. In fact, 'Bloody Hunter' was given to me for my role in the Rebellion by the Queen herself," the future Ben boasted with a maniacal grin. "Demon, angel, elf, it didn't matter the race. I was able to capture my quarry without much difficulty."

Melona stopped thrusting as she listened intently to the teen's explanation. Elina squirmed, attempting to get free. Both of her captors nodded to each other.

"You mind?" Melona asked.

"Go ahead. Just remember, don't digest her, and make sure she can breathe still," the Bloody Hunter said casually. "Otherwise, use her however you'd like."

Melona licked her lips hungrily before resuming, filling the blonde up with her slime before beginning to melt, slowly oozing all over the blonde's body.

"No! Get… off of …me!" Elina protested, trying her hardest to ignore the pleasure her body was experiencing.

The pink slime began to wrap around Elina's frame, covering every inch of her below the neck, giving an allusion of the blonde wearing a skintight latex suit. The slime began engulfing the neck, slowly inching its way towards the head.

The Bloody Hunter watched eagerly as Elina began to threaten the slime before being gagged as her lower face was covered. Elina glared at the teen boy with hateful eyes before her head was fully engulfed by Melona, save for two holes for her nostrils. Once the slime covered all of the blonde hair, Melona transformed into her human form, with Elina trapped inside her.

"Mmmm… it feels so good to be so full," Melona said sensually while beginning to grope herself. As she moved, her captive inside was forced to do the same movement, despite her efforts to resist. "You really are creative alright. I did this kind of thing whenever I consumed someone, yet I never really thought about acting as a prison myself in this manner. This way, I can still do whatever I want to the little slut inside me while being on the move."

The Bloody Hunter walked over towards Melona before wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing her ass. Melona moaned slightly while leaning into him.

"Glad to hear it, Melona," he said. "Keep in mind, as long as Elina's inside you, you will not be as effective in combat, forcing you to become more defensive than usual."

"I know that. Anyway, it's the least I can do to repay for what you're going to do," Melona said.

"Can you open up for a moment? I'd like to give her a kiss," he said.

Melona nodded before her head receded, revealing Elina's face as she looked straight into the Bloody Hunter's eyes with anger. The teen grinned before smashing his lips against the blonde's own, forcing his tongue into her mouth. After recovering from her shock, the youngest of the Vance sisters bit hard on the invading appendage, taking satisfaction as she tasted his blood.

The future Ben withdrew his tongue instantly and raised his hand up, leading Elina to believe that he was going to strike her back in rage. Instead, what happened next stunned the girl.

The Bloody Hunter laughed in joy before stroking her left cheek endearingly. He then closed the distance and licked her other cheek, leaving a scarlet streak from his bleeding tongue. Elina tried to lean her head away, repulsed by the action while fear began to take over. She was out of her element. Usually she was the one in control, but the brunet before her was the one in power. He managed to turn her attempts of resistance against her.

"Keep this in mind Elina, you are no longer the proud Captain of the Royal Guard. You are going to serve the future Eternal King once you submit completely."

Melona once again covered herself around Elina's head, once again imprisoning the blonde completely inside her body.

"The future Eternal King?" Melona asked once her face reformed.

"Yeah. You see, I have no intentions of conquering this world, though I've led some to think that way," he said while gently stroking the slime's cheek like he did with Elina. "I came to ensure that the proper ruler of this world takes his place on the throne."

"What about me? You said that I was a delicious snack," Melona teased.

The Bloody Hunter nodded while his face turned into a frown.

"Indeed you are. But that was after the future you tried to betray me because you were forced to," he said solemnly. "It was a shame… I actually enjoyed spending all my time with her."

Melona raised one of her rabbit ears in interest.

"So… Is that why you wanted to know what the hag was up to?" she asked.

He nodded before kissing the slime on the forehead.

"I don't want to have that part of history repeating itself," he admitted. "But don't play me the fool. I know your methods. Like right now, you can just simply impale me and that's it for me. You can also be a great actress if you wanted to. A good example could be you being around me like this only to get information out of me for the Swamp Witch."

"You're correct, I could do any of that, but you've caught my interest. Not everyday you find someone who's from the future, and promise to make me even stronger," the slime admitted before getting a mischievous grin. "Hmm… think you can do to me what I'm doing with your bitch?"

The Bloody Hunter laughed before nodding. He stepped backwards before activating the Ultimatrix.

"This is why I love you so much. You are just as creative as I am with that sort of thing," he commented before turning into Shiftlash.

The scarlet slime touched the Ultimatrix again, turning into his Ultimate form. The ghoulish figure then had part of his body turn into ooze, covering over the Ultimatrix.

"Just a precaution if you were planning on doing anything," he said before morphing into a pile of blood red slime, launching itself forward towards the waiting Melona.

* * *

Cerate ran as fast as she could, in pursuit of a figure that she spotted.

"Come back here!" she called out as she charged forwards, her eyes focusing upon the back of the figure's head.

She couldn't make out the gender, but she could recognize the being as an elf with tanned skin from the pointed ears alone. The Elf also had long dark green hair that was tied up in a ponytail. The elf was moving far too fast for Cerate to catch up, who was not as nimble in the forest.

The Gal Monster tripped and fell face first into the ground, allowing the elf to disappear from sight.

"SHIT!" the blonde cursed at the top of her lungs as she couldn't find any sign of her target. Relenting, Cerate got up and returned in the opposite direction she came from. As she walked, she briefly paused to slam her fist against a tree while screaming in frustration, causing it to topple over.

"Dammit… I failed…" she said before looking down at the ground. "I hope Master doesn't abandon me for failing him."

"I highly doubt that, sweetie…" a voice said from above.

Cerate looked up to see the robed elf looking down upon her from a tree branch. The Gal Monster noticed the face and all blood drained from her own upon recognizing who the elf was. It was the one elf she never wanted to confront alone for many different reasons.

"E-Echidna…" the blonde squeaked in fear as she backed away.

The infamous mercenary looked down upon the now fearful girl with her red eyes.

"What does a little girl want with me?" she asked, smiling slightly as she watched Cerate. "If you are looking to hire me, I'm not available at this time."

Cerate gulped slightly and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"What are you doing here? " she asked.

"Just passing through," Echidna said casually before turning around. "Is that all?"

"Are you after my master?" the Gal Monster asked while looking at the wild elf.

"Master? Oh… do you mean that boy? " the mercenary questioned before a perverse grin formed on her face. "I never expected someone like him to have two Gal Monsters under his ownership… So… how far have you went with him?"

Cerate blushed profusely by the elf's question. Echidna only chuckled in amusement at the blonde's reaction before leaping down to the ground nearby the young girl, startling her.

"I guess you haven't gone that far yet," she said before a lecherous smirk appeared as she gently caressed one of Cerate's cheeks. "If you'd like, I can teach you a thing or two to please him…"

"I-I'll pass," the Gal Monster said while flinching.

Echidna slowly licked her upper lip while looking at Cerate hungrily.

_Master… Help me…_ The blonde mentally cried out in fear.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Dinostrike's voice cried out as he charged forward, forcing Echidna to leap into the air to evade him as he stormed forward, crashing into a tree.

"Oh, what do we have here?" the mercenary asked while looking from behind her shoulder. "Never saw you before."

The transformed Ben groaned as he got up to his feet.

" Oww… Should've thought that through…" he muttered while swaying a bit as he saw stars.

"Do you not have a brain?" Cerate deadpanned almost instinctively.

"Hey! I do too have one!" Dinostrike countered as he fully recovered.

The wild elf smirked as she noticed the Omnitrix, recognizing the design from the one that was found on the armband of the brunet boy she watched earlier.

"So… you must be the Deceitful Youth I've heard so much about," she commented. "Relax, I mean no harm, I was just playing around with your adorable little girlfriend."

Both blondes blushed upon hearing that.

"We're not like that!" Dinostrike protested.

"He's my master!" Cerate added.

"Oh, so when is he going to fuck you?" Echidna teased as a lecherous grin once again appeared on her face.

The Gal Monster blushed deeper while her master became confused upon hearing the curse word.

"What is going on…here?" Stella said upon appearing before her voice trailed off upon noticing the wild elf. She said aloud the one sentence that could describe how she felt.

"…We're so fucked…"

"Can someone please tell me what 'fuck' means?!" Dinostrike asked.

"You're an idiot, you know that Master?" Cerate deadpanned.

"How many times am I going to tell you, don't call me that!"

Echidna began laughing out loud, making no attempt to suppress it.

"I can't believe that someone so naive is really the infamous demon known as the Deceitful Youth."

Dinostrike growled before looking at the elf.

"When will people stop calling me that?" he asked. "I'm human, not a demon!"

"Really, then how you can transform?" Echidna questioned.

"Don't tell her about the Yummytrick!" Cerate blurted out. "She can't know that armband is what changes you!"

"Interesting…" Echidna said, curious in learning more about what she just heard.

Stella placed a hand over her face and groaned in disbelief.

"Cerate… your stupidity knows no bounds…"

"Shut up Blondie!"

"..."

* * *

**Converse Corner of Randomness**

**Blazorna**: *Sitting on edge of a roof* WOOO! I am in such a great mood right now. I can't believe that someone was actually interested in taking on one of my challenges! One of the people who has been one of the more frequent reviewers for this story, Krikanalo, has accepted one of them. I wish him the best of luck and personally can't wait to see what he has in store.

Now onto questions.

**Q**: When are Echidna and Menace going to show?

**A**: Don't need to answer for Echidna. Menace? *bangs head against a pole in frustration* **HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO SAY IT?!** I am only saying this one last time.

**Menace.**

**Is.**

**Coming.**

**Very.**

**SOON!**

*eye twitches while foaming in mouth like a rabid dog*

The next time someone asks, I'll ignore it. I know a lot of you like Menace, but you guys must remain patient.

Speaking of polls, I'm closing the current one and put the first back up with some updates to it. There weren't a lot of votes, but it looks like it's in favor of a harem…

Let's see… in order to define one having a harem, you need at least three people be romantically interested with the exact same person. Heh, based on that fact alone, Ben apparently has one in canon already, most notably in Omniverse based on what I've heard about upcoming episodes.

That'll be all for now. Now if you excuse me, I want to try something out.

*pulls out a fishing line with a chibi plush of Tino on the end before casting the line over the edge*

Now… I wonder who'll take the bait. And why do I have the nagging feeling the damned chicken's going to be one of them…

*looks over shoulder*


	9. Overclock

**Overclock**

* * *

"We definitely have quite a motley crew here," Stella commented as she looked over her shoulder.

"We're all heading in the same direction," Echidna, said with a sly smirk. "So what's the harm in us traveling together for the time being?"

"You're up to something Echidna," Cerate said skeptically from behind the elf. "You're not really the most social person from what I've heard."

"You're right there, I actually prefer traveling alone," Echidna admitted. "But I am very curious in your master. I never heard of a human being able to turn into different forms."

Ben, who was in the front of the group with Nyx, turned around and walked backwards.

"Look, Echidna, I'm saying this the nicest way possible, but you're really scary," Ben confessed.

Echidna's smirk only grew upon hearing Ben's comment, causing the boy to tense up slightly.

"Really now?" she asked as she went over towards Ben. Once close enough, her face became sadistic. "I can be very scary if I want to. So you should watch what you say, little boy."

Ben tripped and fell onto his rear as he trembled in fear. The wild elf's face softened as Nyx walked over to the brunet to help him up.

Cerate sighed as she looked over her shoulder.

"It's alright, Tino." she reassured the black-haired girl who hid behind her shoulder.

"I…I'm not so sure…" the timid girl said nervously while gripping her cloak.

The blonde smiled and looked forward.

"Trust me, you can easily crush that elf if you wanted to," Cerate admitted. "You just need to put more faith in yourself."

"I…I'll try…" Tino said with uncertainty.

Cerate grinned before she noticed something from the corner of her eye.

"Hey… I think we got company," she announced out loud before getting into a fighting stance.

* * *

The Bloody Hunter, who was slumbering, awoke in a cold sweat. He panted heavily as he recalled what he just dreamt about.

"No… It's too soon…" he muttered before rising up to his feet. "I got no choice, I have to make sure she survives."

He activated the Ultimatrix, turning into Speedspike. He then pounded a fist against the device once more, activating his Ultimate form.

* * *

"Vilgax!" Ben cried out upon noticing the alien warlord as he appeared out of the foliage.

"I've been looking for you Tennyson…" the towering alien replied while the cylinders that protruded from his arms went inside, causing his arms to drastically increase in bulk as he grunted in pain.

"Echidna, look after Nyx and Tino." Ben said to the elf while activating the Omnitrix.

"You think it's a good idea to trust a mercenary like myself?" the elf asked.

"I don't have any other choice right now…" the boy admitted before glaring at the older woman. "I will make sure you pay if you harm them."

"Alright. But it's gonna cost you," Echidna said with a smirk.

Ben only nodded before slamming his hand down on the alien device, initiating the transformation.

Meanwhile, Cerate stood in between Tino and Vilgax.

"We meet again, Shit Squid," the Gal Monster said while flicking her wrists, causing the arm spikes to turn around.

Stella drew her sword and got into a fighting stance while the alien warlord looked over towards her and Cerate.

"So… you haven't learned your lesson the last time we met." the Chimera Sui Generis said before he turned his attention towards Echidna and Nyx.

"Don't even think about it, big guy. " the elf warned while holding up a knife.

"I think this watch just hates me…" Ditto muttered bitterly. "I wanted Four Arms, but I get Ditto instead!"

"You think a Splixson will be enough to defeat me?" Vilgax commented before he charged forward.

However, after taking five steps, the warlord was knocked off his feet as a blur collided into him, followed by a sonic boom that arrived a few seconds later.

The object that collided with Vilgax at the speed of sound bounced off of him and landed while spinning in place. It began to slow down, at first enough to make everyone believe it's a spiked ball until it stopped completely, revealing its true identity.

Ultimate Speedspike uncurled, grinning in satisfaction. His skin was reptilian and matched the hide of the tail, however, from the tail to the back of his bald head were covered in needle like spikes. Grasped within his hand was the red edged broadsword.

"Who's that?" Ditto asked in curiosity.

The future version of Ben ignored his younger counter part's question and spoke up.

"Split into four copies, and then have them all touch their Omnitrix at the top," he instructed.

"Who made you boss?!" Ditto said in annoyance.

"Just believe me. You need them," Ultimate Speedspike muttered.

As if on cue, the sound of buzzing filled the air. Appearing from the sky was a swarm of giant mutant wasps, with horns protruding where their antennae would be located. The feet were tipped with curved claws while they had fanged mouths

"Aww, man… Animo's here too?!" Ditto cried out in annoyance.

"Do it, _now_," Ultimate Shiftlash commanded.

The Splixson did as instructed and separated into four duplicates of himself.

"Ready guys?" the original asked.

"Like we got any other choice," one of the clones replied.

The four reached for their respective Omnitrix and touched them.

Vilgax rose to his feet as the four clones were engulfed in light.

"Master?" Cerate asked in confusion as she saw four different forms standing in place of Ditto after the light disappeared.

"Whoa… I had no idea I could do this!" Four Arms said in awe when he appeared.

"Same here…" Dinostrike admitted while looking at his hands.

"Don't call me that!" the third one, Shiftlash, blurted out in annoyance.

The final one, Wildmutt, roared while he ran towards Vilgax.

"Now's not the time to be in awe, you've all got only two minutes and fifty seconds each before timing out!" the evolved Speedspike called out before he turned his attention towards Stella and Cerate briefly.

"I can't stay any longer…" he muttered under his breath before he ran off, generating a sonic boom as he went full speed.

"Hey, come back here!" Cerate cried out before she was startled by the loud boom that filled the air.

Shiftlash grinned as he turned towards the swarm of mutant insects.

"I'll deal with the bugs, you three handle Vilgax," the slime said before noticing the Omnitrix starting to flash red at a slower rate than usual during the time out warning.

"Fine by me," Four Arms said as he charged after Wildmutt.

Dinostrike simply cracked his knuckles before following the Tetramand.

"Okay… I never expected that Master's capable of doing that," Stella admitted.

"Yeah… Let's hope that it's not four times the idiocy either," Cerate quipped dryly before she looked over her shoulder. "Tino, you better…step… back… We're so fucked…"

Tino was silently looking down at the ground, her cape laying on the ground a few meters behind her. The bangs obscured her eyes before the girl looked up, grinning eagerly and slightly sadistic while her eyes were like that of a predator's. Her grey reptilian tail swayed slowly as she walked past the blondes in silence.

"It's been a while since I had a good fight," the black haired Gal Monster said eagerly while cracking her knuckles.

Vilgax growled as he grabbed Wildmutt by the throat and slamming him into a tree before being punched by Four Arms in the face. The warmonger released his grip before turning to strike back at the Tetramand. Dinostrike came from below, knocking the Chimera Sui Generis off his feet. As he fell, Four Arms leaped up and drove two of his elbows into his opponent's gut. Once the Tetramand got up, Dinostrike grasped Vilgax by the ankles and began spinning him in circles, building up momentum. After several revolutions, the blonde let go. The Vulpimance roared as he recovered while Vilgax flew in the air. The warlord crashed through several trees before finally landing. Wildmutt leaped through the trees nimbly before landing on top of Vilgax rear feet first, forcing his foe's eyes to widen involuntarily.

Shiftlash had one of his arms go straight through the head of one of the wasps, killing it instantly before he swung the corpse into another one. Switching to his other hand, he fired acid bullets repeatedly, most of his shots hitting their targets due to the large size of the swarm. If the force of the impact failed to silence the mutants, the acid guaranteed each shot to be lethal.

One of the wasps managed to drive its stinger square into the slime's back from behind. Shiftlash grinned before a series of spikes erupted from his back, impaling the insect before it could fly off.

**Time left**: **One minute, forty-seven seconds.**

* * *

Ultimate Speedspike reverted back to his original form while standing on one of the top branch of a tree.

"Overclock…" Paradox said as he stood on a tree across from the future Ben. "Despite what you have done, that is quite an ingenious idea you came up with."

The Bloody Hunter smirked slightly as he leaned against the tree.

"I know it shortens the duration of the transformation, but it has been quite handy on occasion," he said calmly. "However, it's far from perfect, the Omnitrix can only handle up to four different forms at a time. And then there's the drawback…"

"I know, but let's keep the rest to ourselves," Paradox interjected calmly. "We don't know who else is listening in on our discussion. "

The Bloody Hunter laughed before adjusting his blindfold with one hand.

"You have a point there, Time Walker. Anyway, I thought you didn't want to speak with me again so soon," he said.

"You willingly changed your own future, why is that?" Paradox asked. "I thought you wanted Young Ben to become more like yourself."

"I do," the Bloody Hunter said while shouldering his sword. "Let's just say, I don't want things to go exactly as before."

"I see…" the Time Walker said while nodding in understanding. "And how does Elina play into all this?"

"Like I said before," the teen replied before he swung his sword, the edges opening up and retreating inside as a chainsaw-like blade was revealed underneath. "I don't want things to go exactly like they did the first time. I seek to become the ultimate Ben Ten. The one who surpasses all of reality. To do that, I need as much help and power as possible from this world without sacrificing it."

Paradox remained silent as the Bloody Hunter turned his back to him. The Time Walker collected his thoughts before speaking up.

" So… why do you seek such an ambitious goal? You would be thwarted by another version of yourself," he inquired. "Even if you succeeded, the whole time-space continuum would collapse should there be too many versions of you in one place.

"All at once, yes… however, if everything's folded on top of another… we won't have that issue," the future Ben replied flatly.

"Of course… folding the time stream would allow timelines to interact without collapse," Paradox said in realization.

"Gotta thank those Chronosapiens. They're the ones who gave me that idea," the Bloody Hunter admitted with a smirk.

"I see… but you haven't answered my question, Ben. Why do you want to be the most superior?" Paradox asked. "What's your reason for going so far?"

The smirk on the teen's face vanished completely, being replaced with a frown.

"You want to know why?" he asked in a stern tone. "Why I am willing to kill? What I have to gain from this? I thought you of all people would be aware of it."

Paradox lowered his head.

"I should've realized that much sooner. You may have done unforgivable crimes and still will, but you're still human…"

"It's natural for one to act that way, even if they're considered to be 'evil'," the Bloody Hunter confessed. "It's universal after all."

* * *

Shiftlash was panting heavily while looking at the handful of remaining mutants that surrounded him. The barbs of shed stingers were protruding from his body in numerous locations. Despite the short period of time, the slime pushed himself to the limit, attacking at full force nonstop.

"There's too many of them…" he said while firing at a slower pace.

Wildmutt whimpered in pain as he got up, his fur covered in dirt.

"And Squid's too strong…" Cerate said while wiping some blood from the corner of her mouth.

"It doesn't help that we're at a disadvantage to begin with…" Stella admitted. "At least we don't have to worry about Tino…"

"Yeah… I never expected her to be quite a fighter…" Four Arms said while helping Dinostrike up.

"You are most persistent!" Vilgax said in annoyance as he punched at the petite Gal Monster, who only smirked upon catching the fist with her bare hands.

"Oh please… Is that all you got?" Tino taunted as the earth gave way underneath her feet. "I've fought dragons stronger than you and beaten them!"

The warlord narrowed his eyes before swinging his free arm at the Gal Monster, creating a cloud of kicked up dirt in the process.

"You will pay for underestimating me," the Chimera Sui Generis said before punching as hard as possible repeatedly.

From the sidelines, Echidna and Nyx watched in silence. Nyx held her hands together with a concerned look on her face. The wild elf however meticulously watched each of the four forms that were Ben and how they fought.

_Each of those four fight similarly, yet adapted to incorporate their respective abilities. It was obvious he had no formal training in combat, yet at least he was instructed enough on the basics to hold his own._

As the mercenary mentally assessed the four, Shiftlash stopped and glared defiantly before expelling the barbs from his body.

"I got to make this next one count… I don't know how much time is left…" he muttered out loud before his body elongated from the waist as he stretched up to the wasps' altitude.

The mutant insects all flew towards him, preparing to sting the slime. Shiftlash smirked before holding up his arms in front of him. He waited for a few seconds before his fingers launched forward. Each appendage impaled through the bodies before rapidly twisting and turning in the air, each seeking the rest of the swarm.

Vilgax ceased his assault on Tino as Dinostrike charged forward.

**Time Left: Thirty seconds**

* * *

Nanael floated in the air as Airi glared at her.

"What does an angel want with me?" the wraith questioned while holding her scythe at the side.

"Trust me, I don't like this anymore than you do," the angel replied. "I'd rather just relax in a hot spring, but I am in quite the pinch right now."

"What is it?" Airi asked. "I have important errands to tend to. If it isn't important, then don't waste my time."

"I need to broadcast a Queen's Blade match, but you're the only combatant I know who's around!" Nanael explained with a desperate look on her face. "If I don't do my job, I'm going to be kicked out!"

"You want to set up a fight? Look elsewhere for it," Airi replied coldly before dismissing her scythe. "You must be that desperate if you're willing to bargain with someone like myself. But it is not my problem."

"I know where that cute boy is," the angel said, playing her ace in the hole. "The brown-haired one who can transform."

Airi froze in place as she looked at the angel.

"What did you say?" she questioned.

Before Nanael could reply, the two women heard a shrill scream of a young girl as she fell from the sky.

Neither were able to make out the girl's face as she landed headfirst into a dune of sand not far from the pair.

"What the…?" the angel asked, dumbfounded by what happened. "Was that a human?"

Airi remained silent as she flew over towards the dune that the mysterious girl landed at.

* * *

A resounding roar filled the air, dispersing the cloud of dirt instantly and revealing Tino standing on her feet. Lying at the base of her feet were the silver hairclips, with one of them partially cracked in the center. The petite Gal Monster hung her head down, hiding her eyes as a predatory grin formed on her face. She then raised her head up towards Vilgax, her eyes glaring straight at him. Her teeth began to elongate as her skin began to turn into the same hide on her tail.

Cerate's eyes widened as she began trembling instinctively. Stella tensed up as she spoke out to everyone.

"STEP BACK EVERYONE!" the blonde cried out before she leaped back.

Wildmutt whimpered slightly while stepping backwards.

"Oh man…" Four Arms said while looking at the Gal Monster.

Tino's mouth bulged forward, turning into a reptilian snout. Her body began to morph, her diaphragm becoming very difficult for her outfit to contain. Her arms began to move more towards the center of her chest while her fingers of each hand fused into two thicker ones tipped with an oversized talon. Three saurian toes broke free of her shoes as her legs contorted.

Vilgax, who was caught off guard, realized what was going on. He attempted to strike the Gal Monster, his fist connecting square against the girl's elongated snout as it lost all humanoid traits. The eyes looked up at the Chimera Sui Generis with an annoyed look, otherwise unfazed by the blow.

Tino growled before twisting her body, slamming her enlarged tail into Vilgax's torso, sending the warlord flying through the air with enough force to go through five trees like they weren't there before becoming deeply imbedded within the sixth one.

Tino opened her mouth and roared as she began growing in size as she leaned forward.

"What's going on with her?" Dinostrike asked as he looked over at his Gal Monsters.

"Tino's race is unique amongst the Gal Monsters," Cerate replied. "They are able to transform into dragons."

"A dragon?!" Dinostrike and Four Arms cried out before noticing their respective Omnitrix flashing faster while beeping to indicate the time out warning.

Shiftlash returned to his original height, letting the bodies of the mutant wasps fall to the ground when he witnessed Tino's transformation. When he noticed the flashing picking up speed, he ran over towards the others.

Once close enough, Four Arms, Dinostrike, Wildmutt, and the slime all reverted back into four Dittos.

"What the, woaaaahh~!" they all said before being pulled together, becoming one before transforming back into Ben.

"Whoa…Now that felt weird…" the boy groaned before looking down at the Omnitrix. "Never thought I could do that though." The hourglass of the alien device was red, yet still flashing.

"Are you okay Master?" Cerate asked while running towards him.

"Yeah, I am," Ben replied with a smile before holding up the Omnitrix. "Not sure about the watch though…"

"Screw the Yummytrick, I need to get you to safety. Tino's now fully dragon," the Gal Monster replied in a serious tone.

Ben looked over at the transformed Tino, who now greatly resembled a gray Tyrannosaurus Rex, whose head reached the top of the trees. The dinosaur-like dragon opened her mouth and roared loudly, exposing her razor sharp teeth to the world.

Echidna smirked at the sight of Tino and closed her eyes for a moment. Nyx however was frozen in fear upon seeing the towering behemoth.

"Now I see why she is known as the Ghost Dragon Demon…" the wild elf commented out loud.

* * *

Eon, who was now of an advanced age, sighed as he appeared at Albedo's workshop.

"That Vilgax… He jeopardizes everything by attacking Tennyson by himself. This plan has taken me five jumps to get to this point. Part of it has already failed with that brat gaining allies," he wheezed. "I must restore my youth again… Otherwise I will become too frail to fend off that damned Time Walker."

"I recall you telling me you managed to take over the body of an alternate Ben once," Albedo said with a smirk on his face. "Anyway, I have great news for you, Eon."

The Chronian looked at the boy.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I managed to acquire some Holy Milk from an angel when she was relaxing in the hot springs. Anyway, I managed to complete the device, and as predicted, it is stabilized," the former Galvan reported before he held up the mentioned device.

Grinning eagerly, Eon took the device and placed it on his right arm.

"To think that future version of Tennyson has this exact same device. At least we know it will work," he said before brushing a fingertip over the face of the purple "watch" and grinned upon seeing a blue holographic display showing a row of four vertical lines on a large square grid. He noted a pulsing red dot in the middle of the furthest left line.

"The lines indicate the nearest universes, with the one marked with the dot indicating the one you're currently in. the x axis indicates the month, with you being able to safely traverse forward and back in time no more than two years from your current point of time. To designate your destination that is outside of this reality, simply touch a spot on the grid," Albedo explained. "However, there's a drawback: while you are freely able to traverse between realities at will as well as jumping into the future, the jumps that go back in time are limited to only three maximum before the stabilizers fail."

"That is more than I need for my plans," Eon said, pleased with what he heard before touching a spot parallel to the dot. "I shall be right back. I must take care of something first."

A violet portal opened in between the pair, in which Eon stepped into without any hesitation. Once the Chronian was inside, the portal closed, leaving Albedo all by himself. The scientist smirked as he looked over towards his worktable, in which two red wristwatches and the Ultimatrix were laying upon.

"I am glad it's been of great use. Not only has it worked during testing, I managed to reclaim the Ultimatrix before it got destroyed by that wretched Azmuth, but also copies of the Omnitrix Prototype," he said before a smirk appeared. "Perhaps I can use the transformative properties the Omnitrix has as a basis for a new weapon. One that I can use in conjunction with the Ultimatrix, but also independently if necessary."

* * *

The Bloody Hunter, as Ultimate Shiftlash, chuckled as he looked at Elina's face. Her eyes averted contact with his own, yet the evolved slime could easily tell that she was afraid of him now. The blonde was humiliated earlier by her captor by having her being paraded through a major trading town naked, followed by being raped by him in front of a crowd. He held the girl's head by the chin, and began to speak.

"Listen well, I am going to say this once. You will most definitely be disowned by your father once he learns what happened earlier, perhaps have you even executed to save what honor he has remaining. Unlike your sister Leina, you are expendable. I won't deny that your father will hate himself for doing such things, as he will still love you no matter what." He paused to look at Elina to make sure she was paying attention. When he noticed her looking straight at him, he continued.

"Nobility is both a blessing and a curse. Luxury is assured as long as you hold power, but once you're seen as weak, you'll be preyed upon by those who crave for what you own. What happened to you in town will no doubt be viewed as a sign of weakness to everyone. I have essentially put your family's standing in even greater jeopardy. More than before when your elder sister fled home, refusing to follow her role as heir." Elina's eyes widened in horror upon hearing that.

"I have turned you into nothing more than a liability to your father. You have nowhere to go now. Even if you succeed in bringing back your sister, your future as a member of the Vance, or a noble in general, will be very unlikely."

Elina looked down at the ground, begrudgingly agreeing that what the slime was saying was the truth.

"You have three options. The first is to have me kill you right on the spot. However, while it might give you the escape you most likely want right now, if that happens, your family will be guaranteed to perish at the hands of an uprising."

"What… What are the other two?" the blonde asked softly.

Ultimate Shiftlash nodded as he held up his hand with two fingers up.

"The second is that I can simply let you go, and we both let fate decide on what happens. Keep in mind, there's a really good chance you'll end up being caught by bandits, and also there's the aforementioned uncertainty of your status as nobility."

Elina looked back down at the ground. So far the first two options were very unfavorable to her.

"I take it the third is for me to become nothing more than a simple whore…" she said dryly.

"Close, the third option would be of you willingly becoming a slave. However, your master will protect you with his very life, and I will personally make sure that your family is safe."

"How do I know you aren't lying to me?" Elina asked in nervous skepticism.

The Bloody Hunter chuckled before turning back to his human form. He then held out his right hand, summoning a portal before sticking his hand inside for a moment. He fished around inside it before pulling out Elina's spear.

"If you accept the third option, I shall return your weapon to you," he said. "One last thing. Your master will treat you with respect, something that you don't deserve."

Elina kept a straight face upon seeing her weapon. The girl wasn't expecting her tormentor to do such a thing. She viewed him as a power-hungry psychopath that saw her only as an object. Fear was mixed with confusion, making it difficult for the blonde to keep calm.

The teen smirked. As he shouldered the spear, he turned his back to the blonde.

"What's your choice, Kitty? The third option is your safest bet for more than one reason. You gain many forms of protection, you're guaranteed to live, and you regain your weapon. All you must give up is your rights and freedom. "

Elina glared at the teen in silence before closing her eyes to contemplate.

_As much as I hate to admit it, the bastard's completely right… after what has happened to me in that town… I have indeed become a liability to Father… Also, I will be seen as a disgrace towards other nobles…Damn him! Damn him to fucking hell! He has me exactly where he wants me…_

Clenching her fists, the humiliated Elina spoke.

"I shall accept your proposition, and become a slave. However, I am only doing this to ensure that the Vance family will not fall," she said sternly.

The Bloody Hunter smirked before setting the spear against a tree before turning back into Shiftlash. He transformed his right hand into a decal similar to the emblem found on the Ultimatrix.

"All that's left is to brand you. This will hurt, but a necessary evil to ensure your survival," he explained. Let's see… I should either put it on your thigh or shoulder so it'll be easier to be seen."

Elina remained silent as the Bloody Hunter made up his mind. The blonde suppressed all fear she was feeling when he grasped her left arm. The blonde gritted her teeth, tears forming as she felt the acidic brand eat away at her flesh on her left shoulder. The burning sensation lasted for a few seconds before the brand was removed, reducing the pain drastically, although it was still present.

"As of this moment, you belong to the one who will one day be known as the Eternal King," the Bloody Hunter decreed before offering Elina her weapon.

"And who will be this so called 'Eternal King' if I may ask?" Elina asked while taking her spear with her right hand.

The teen grinned maniacally.

"He himself doesn't know of his destiny in this world. Right now, he is better known as the Deceiving or Deceitful Youth, whichever is more familiar with you. But his proper title is the Misplaced Hero," he replied. "His name is Ben Tennyson."

Elina's eyes widened upon hearing who was to be her master.

The boy who had conflicting rumors about him, some portraying him as a demon, others hail him as a savior. The blonde firmly thought that the person before her was the Deceitful Youth, as she never once heard his name.

The scarlet Shiftlash laughed upon seeing Elina's reaction.

"Thought I was him? Well, you're wrong, I am the Bloody Hunter," he said, half lying. "Yes I do look like him and have similar powers, but you know that I kill, but not Tennyson. That's why he's going to be your new master. "

"I see…" the blonde said before Shiftlash stretched his arms, catching Elina off guard as he restrained her arms.

"What are you doing?!" Elina cried out as she tried to break free.

"You aren't ready yet. Even in your current position, you will still likely kill the boy and flee the first chance you get. That is a risk I can't afford to take," the teen said. "What would your beloved Leina think of you when she hears that you killed a child. One that she is an acquaintance of?"

Elina fell silent upon hearing that. What the Bloody Hunter said targeted the only weak part of the blonde's pride. The last thing she wanted was for her older sister to see her in disdain or as a failure.

The scarlet slime produced a third arm and used it to take the spear out of Elina's grasp. The Vance girl made no protest or remark as she was relieved of her weapon. She had no more reason to escape.

"Good girl, you're starting to understand how serious the situation is for you," the Bloody Hunter said before setting the spear down on the ground gently. "Rest assured, I am a man who keeps his promises, and I will uphold my end of our contract. I will even allow you to see your sisters if you behave."

Elina nodded in defeat before looking at the brand that was etched onto her skin.

* * *

Eon appeared in a flash of light with a grin on his face as he walked over towards the house of a blacksmith in which a young boy was outside, playing by himself.

"There he is… my new body…" the aged Chronian said as he looked down at the Omnitrix that he held in his hand.

Chuckling softly, he went to approach the boy.

* * *

Tino roared as she charged towards Vilgax, who managed to extract himself from the tree. The alien warlord glared at the transformed Gal Monster as his arms increased in bulk once again. The dragon opened her maw in an attempt to bite down upon the alien. However, the Chimera Sui Generis stopped her from proceeding by a well timed uppercut to her lower jaw. The force of the impact forced Tino to step backwards while some blood oozed from in between her teeth.

The transformed Gal Monster glared at her adversary with her golden eyes before opening up her mouth to roar defiantly before charging forward, slamming her head against Vilgax. The Chimera Sui Generis grunted upon the impact before he was sent flying into a tree. Prepared this time, he quickly recovered and grasped the falling tree before throwing it towards the dragon.

Tino was knocked to the ground from the force of the tree hitting her in the side. She released a pained roar before Vilgax came up to her striking her in the throat with a well placed kick.

"I am impressed with how powerful you are, but you were foolish to fight against me. Now you will pay with your life," he said before grabbing a broken branch and holding it above his head, aiming at the vulnerable throat.

Vilgax cried out in pain as Cerate drove the horns on her arms into his back.

"I won't let you kill my friend, you fucking asshole!" the blonde said while glaring at the alien.

The alien grunted in pain again as he looked down at his wrist, seeing a knife plunged into the thick flesh.

"I won't let you hurt anyone either," Ben said as he kept a firm grip on Wes' knife. "I'm a hero, no matter what people call me. Even if it kills me, I won't let you hurt anyone else."

"Insolent pests…" Vilgax said in annoyance before backhanding Ben, sending him flying into a tree as the knife landed near him. He then reached behind his back, grasping Cerate by the head before throwing her as hard as he could into the ground.

Tino watched Ben and Cerate as they both got back up, both with a look of determination on their faces. They both attempted to attack again, only to be knocked back down by the towering behemoth. The transformed Gal Monster struggled to get back to her feet due to her current physique. She roared out as she saw Vilgax grabbing both Cerate and Ben by their throats, choking them with great ease.

"You have interfered for the last time, Tennyson, both you and your wench," the alien warlord declared before slowly tightening his grip on them.

Tino successfully managed to get up before bellowing loudly, getting Vilgax's attention.

"So… you wish to oppose me too," he said before he quickly twisted his body, slamming Ben's body into Stella, who attempted to catch the warlord off guard. The Gal Monster flew backwards and landed on the ground, unconscious. Ben too was out cold from the force of the impact.

"Master… Stella…" Cerate choked out while holding out a hand out to the brunet. Her eyesight began to blur, and her outstretched hand became limp, passing out from lack of oxygen.

Vilgax tossed both Ben and Cerate over towards Stella like garbage before turning his attention towards the last remaining combatant.

"You think that you alone can defeat me?" he questioned the girl.

"I can't stand by and let you kill my client, that's bad for business," Echidna said from behind the alien.

"Is that so?" Vilgax replied skeptically.

The wild elf smirked while Tino growled.

The Chimera Sui Generis tightened his fists before looking at the pair.

"I shall make you both regret challenging me before I end your pitiful lives," he declared.

"Just try, big guy," Echidna replied before she and Tino ran towards Vilgax.

* * *

Paradox smiled a bit as he stood at entrance to the ruins of Amara.

"Shall we get going?" he asked the person who stood to his right.

A girl nodded with a smile on her face. Her deep blue eyes focused upon the Time Walker. If one was to look closely, they would notice that she had white pupils instead of black ones like others.

Her physique was slender and thin, as well as having underdeveloped breasts, giving her the appearance of a young girl. She also had a permanent blush on her face, further adding on to her childish look. Her attire consisted of a dark purple bikini with a white cloth covering her abdomen attached to the top. Around her neck was a small split-tailed cape that was the same shade of purple as the bikini on the outside, while the interior was a deep pink, while a green cartoon like pin was holding it in place. She wore mismatched a pair of thigh-high stockings. The left was all black with a miniature bow at the hem, while the right had alternating black and lavender stripes that went horizontally. Her feet were wearing a pair of purple cloth boots that resembled socks more.

A thin purple belt hung around her waist, held in place by the decorative gold buckle. A octahedral bottle filled with a blue liquid was dangling on the left side of her waist by the belt. Completing her attire was a pair of tiny conical witch hats that floated near the back of her head, giving her the appearance of having either horns or cat ears.

Her bubblegum pink hair went well with the outfit, with the underside of her bangs being purple. Coming from the sides of her head were two long, peculiar arrow shaped twin tails of different colors, the right being pink, with the left being purple. The right twin tail had a large golden ring floating around it near the head, with a large star present at .

"May I have another gumball first?" the petit girle asked with hopeful eyes while holding out a hand in front of her.

Paradox chuckled and obliged, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a blue gumball and placing it into the girl's hand.

"Of course. It's nice to finally find someone who appreciates them as much as I do," he said as the girl popped the sweet into her mouth.

The girl, Lovlila Ani, nodded as she savored the taste.

"Ani has forgotten why we need to come here," she asked.

"We need to speak with the princess about Ben," Paradox replied calmly while putting his hands behind his back. "We both know what will happen if Menace's role is altered."

The girl stopped chewing before crossing her arms in front of her chest while pouting.

"There's enough time disruptions to begin with thanks to that Bloody Hunter," she muttered in annoyance. "Ani actually likes Bellwood a lot more. Despite the constant alien attacks, it's a lot more peaceful compared to other worlds she visited."

"I have to agree with you. This place has became a bit rambunctious with everything's that's going on here," the Time Walker said in agreement. "There's a lot to do in this world to keep it on track towards a favorable future, but I can only do so much."

Lovlila smiled before blowing a small bubble.

"So that's why you caught Ani," she said after the bubble popped. "She doesn't mind though. You're a really nice person, Master."

"You're the only Gal Monster who can exist outside of time," Paradox said while petting the petite girl on the top of her head. "It's a refreshing change of pace having a companion like you. I don't meet people as carefree and ambitious as you are that often. Shame I was forced to catch you. I greatly don't like subjugating others, but it was the only way that I can safely secure your cooperation."

The Gal Monster smiled as she enjoyed the attention. Without warning, she pounced onto the Time Walker, wrapping both her arms and twin tails around him.

"Ani is very happy to be with you, Master!" she said affectionately. "She doesn't mind that she was caught. It was the only way to get her help."

Paradox laughed as he patted the Gal Monster on her back.

"I know, you've been telling me that for the past fifty years," he said. "Now would you please be so kind as to get off of me?"

"Okay…" Lovlila said reluctantly before obeying. She released the Time Walker from her clutches and helped him up.

"We should get going. We have an appointment to keep, after all." Paradox reminded the Gal Monster.

"Alright!" the smaller girl chirped happily while pumping a fist into the air.

After dusting his lab coat of sand, Paradox and Lovlila Ani went on their way.

* * *

**Converse Corner of Randomness**

**Blazorna**: Next chapter is the moment a lot of you have been waiting for. That's right guys, Menace is going to appear. *pulls out a chicken from behind back* ask again, and I will sic this chicken on you.

Although I didn't get this in the form of a question, I do have plans for Puia, just please be patient for the time being.

Now, I made a mistake with the poll, as I should of realized sooner that a lot of you have already voted. Therefore, I've made a brand new one for those who want to either redo their vote, or do new ones all together. In addition to this, there are new gang up options. For example, selecting the "Bloody Hunter and Melona" option means that Ben will be fighting both Melona and the Bloody Hunter at the same time.

And another thing, I'm going to do something special for the tenth form Ben will get. A while back, there were those of you who asked for aliens like Feedback to show up as the then unknown fifth form (later revealed to be Stinkfly).

Basically, I'm going to have you guys decide on who shall be the tenth form. As for this form, it can be just about any form Ben that used in canon, excluding the Andromeda Aliens, Nanomech, Alien X and Clockwork. Just keep in mind that whatever form Ben gets, the Bloody Hunter will as well. After I get enough requests, a minimum of five, there will be a poll for who you guys want to see the most.

I will be starting to put some attention back onto my Incursio Votum series, since I've neglected it long enough. Don't worry though, I am going to keep focus on this story, since it's my most popular one. For those curious, the main storyline, Incursio Votum quod Alius Insolitus Res, may be a massive crossover of mainly anime series that are not well known in the West, such as Black Rock Shooter and Black Cat, but you can find Airi, Melona, and the Gal Monsters there. Just be warned, there are also OC's abound in it, as well as the chapter length being longer.

Well, that's it for now, please keep up the continued support, and make sure to speak up on who you want to see.


	10. Aww, Man-ara

**Aww, Man-ara**

* * *

Echidna panted as she glared at Vilgax. The mercenary had fought for over ten minutes straight with no pause until the current moment. Her adversary was well versed in combat, being far more of a challenge than she expected. He had kept up the pressure, forcing Echidna on the defensive. Despite him being slower than the wild elf, Vilgax's reflexes were quick enough to reduce any damage that was dealt to him by her peculiar sword with a wavy blade.

The alien warlord too was breathing heavily, showing signs of fatigue himself. Without a word, he sidestepped before slamming his body against the side of the charging Tino. While the size and power of the Gal Monster's transformed state managed to be her best asset in the fight, they were far from enough to allow her to stand toe to toe with the more experienced alien. The Gal Monster growled weakly in pain as she fell onto her side, causing the ground to quake slightly upon impact.

"I must commend you two for lasting this long, as very few could do such a thing." Vilgax said. "As such, I will make your deaths swift."

"Sorry, but I'll pass." Echidna replied bluntly.

"So be it…" the Chimera Sui Generis said.

"Actually, I think playtime is over." Zs'skayr's voice said from behind the combatants.

"It's you." Vilgax said in disdain while clenching his fists. "What do you want?"

"It's simple really, I came to retrieve you, Vilgax." the Ectonurite replied while remaining out of sight. "Eon has something important to discuss with you."

The warlord growled in frustration before looking over at Echidna.

"You are most fortunate to leave with your life. It will not happen again the next time we meet," he said before turning around and walking into the foliage.

The wild elf relaxed as she looked at Tino.

"You better transform back and get some rest, little one." she advised with a soft smile.

The dinosaur-like dragon only snorted before closing her eyes. Echidna smirked before turning around, her attention focused upon Nyx as she tended to the three who were unconscious. The brunette hid from the foliage during the fighting, as she couldn't really contribute in any way. Now that it was safe, the woman finally came out.

_I should take my leave, I learned everything that I wanted to know about the so called "Deceitful Youth,"_ Echidna thought as she contemplated her next course of action._ To think that he is far from what the rumors claim him to be._ _The boy has a lot of untapped potential, if he could master it, I don't think even a god could defeat him… What is more interesting that he's not corrupted by his powers. It's rare to find such a kind and noble person not be swayed by the power he holds. However, he has a fatal weakness with only being able to stay in a transformed state for only a period of time… I wonder how far he can go._

* * *

Airi sighed as Nanael examined the young girl who fell from the sky meticulously.

"Those are some pretty weird clothes," the angel muttered as she hovered around in a circle.

The girl watched the angel in frustration.

"Can you please stop that?" she asked in a demanding manner while crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Nanael frowned as she looked the girl square in the face.

"Listen here, little girl. I am an high ranking angel, a mortal like yourself has no right speaking to me like that!" the angel said in annoyance.

"I highly doubt that," the girl retorted. "I can't imagine an angel with a deformed wing with your attitude being an elite. Besides, aren't angels supposed to be a lot nicer?"

"De-Deformed wing?!" Nanael blurted out as her eyes widened before her face contorted to one of anger. "Don't you dare mock me, you damn monkey!"

"You remind me a lot of a certain cousin of mine…" the girl said dryly, completely unfazed by Nanael's remark.

Airi shook her head as she stepped forward.

"The angels aren't all what you expect them to be, their personalities are as diverse as a human's," the wraith explained while looking over at the blue-haired angel. "Judging by what I know, this one is most likely either a dropout or a failure."

"H-HEY! THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR!" Nanael screamed, becoming flustered by the wraith's comment. Her cheeks began to turn pink as she panicked.

"Guess she really is, based on that reaction," the girl said with a frown.

"By the way, I never properly introduced myself," the wraith said before she bowed. "My name is Airi."

The girl smiled before she brushed a lock of her red hair from her face with a hand.

"I'm Gwendolyn Tennyson, but you may call me Gwen," she introduced herself.

Both Airi and Nanael froze in place as they heard Gwen say her last name. The pair were stunned for a moment before the former servant of the Swamp Witch spoke up.

"Wait… did you just say Tennyson?" the wraith asked. "Would you happen to be related to a boy named Ben Tennyson?"

It was Gwen's turn to be stupefied.

"Y-You know my dweeby cousin?" she asked incredulously.

Airi nodded before looking at the young girl.

"I do, in fact, I also know about the Omnitrix that he uses." she said in confirmation. "But still, I never thought that I would be meeting one of his relatives here…"

"Do you know where Ben is?" Gwen asked hopefully.

Airi closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know where he is," she replied before she averted her eyes to the ground. "Besides…I can't face him yet."

"What did he do this time?" the young girl said in a not so surprised manner.

"Before I answer, I should explain who I am to avoid any future misconceptions. I was once a devout servant for a powerful sorceress known as the Swamp Witch… until Ben made me question myself." Airi began as she started telling Gwen about her past briefly.

Gwen's face became mortified as the wraith told her about not only her true nature, but of some of her actions while serving the Swamp Witch. The young girl backed away in fear when she heard Airi admitted to killing people. Fortunately, Gwen fought against her fear to stay when the wraith pleaded her to hear her out.

Airi managed to calm Gwen down as she began to recount her adventures with Ben. The young girl was shocked when she heard that her cousin was tortured by a person that he saved.

"How can someone do such a thing!?" Gwen said in disbelief, forgetting all about her earlier fear.

"Believe me, the world is filled with more people like that than you would like to think. Even the kindest people would do deplorable things for their own personal gain." Airi said while glancing over at Nanael, who frowned in response.

* * *

"DAMMIT!" Ben screamed as he punched a tree as hard as he could before grimacing in pain.

"I know how you feel, Master," Cerate said bitterly before kicking the very same tree, toppling it over in one blow.

"To think that the three of us were defeated so easily," Stella said solemnly as she sat down next to the slumbering Tino, who had reverted back to her human form.

The black-haired girl had her metal hairclips back in place and wearing her white cape once again. The petite girl was in a deep slumber, curled up in a ball next to the blonde who was beside her for warmth.

"I'm fed up with being so helpless when I'm a human…" Ben said as he looked at the alien device which was still flashing. " I'm nothing but a weak kid…"

"Master, you're far from weak." Cerate said with a frown on her face. "You managed to endure that sick bastard torturing you several times, and didn't let it affect you!."

"Cerate's right. From all the scars I've seen on your body, you haven't given in to your rage. If it were me, I would've lost myself." Stella added.

"I know, but I don't want to be so pathetic against foes like Vilgax," Ben said with a downcast look on his face. "There might come a time where the Omnitrix becomes broken, and I can't transform. What am I to do then?" an exasperated sigh escaped from his mouth as he turned around. " I'm going for a walk…"

Both blondes fell silent, unable to come up with some kind of answer as their Master took off.

A heavy silence filled the air soon after that. The Gal Monsters only looked at each other before the currently only adult amongst the group spoke up.

"Umm… How about you two teach him on how to use a weapon like you do Stella?" Nyx asked.

The Gal Monsters looked at the woman in disbelief, causing her to become a little uneasy.

"D-Did I say something wrong?" she asked timidly.

The blondes looked at each other before they put their hands to their faces.

"Why didn't we think about that sooner?" Stella asked.

"We're idiots alright…" Cerate groaned. "Nyx, you're a freaking genius!"

"Th-thanks," she said nervously.

"That really is a good idea." Echidna said as she came out of the forest, carrying a collection of moderately sized fish and dead rabbits. "Anyway, I brought dinner."

"I can cook." Nyx offered softly, "That's if everyone's okay with it."

"PLEASE DO!" Stella pleaded as if her life depended on it.

Nyx looked at the Gal monster in bewilderment.

"You have no idea how horrible Cerate is with cooking. I may not be the best cook, but the stuff she makes can kill even the undead by smell alone." Stella warned as she rose to her feet.

"HEY!" Cerate protested. "It doesn't taste that bad!"

"Don't even get me started on how you somehow made the water catch on fire that one time…" Stella added.

"Wait… what?" Nyx said in disbelief.

"Trust me… Cerate is able to do even the impossible when she cooks," the blonde explained with a sigh. "I think her cooking alone can cause the apocalypse,"

"That's just mean, Stella!" Cerate pouted.

"Sorry, but I am only stating the facts," Stella said before going over to the other blonde and knelt beside the other blonde as she whispered in her ear. "I know you want to be helpful, but Master's really distraught. I'll leave it to you to cheer him up."

Cerate sniffed a little before nodding in understanding. The girl rose up and went off in Ben's direction.

Stella couldn't help but smile slightly as she looked over at Echidna.

"So, what weapon do you think would work best for my master?" she asked the wild elf.

* * *

Within a castle, its lord lay on the floor inside his bedchamber, his chest forced open from the inside, his ribs strewn all over the ground. Standing inside the hole was Melona, baptized in the man's blood as she licked her lips in satisfaction.

The Bloody Hunter frowned as he looked down at a chessboard, carefully examining the pieces that were on it as he was deep in thought.

He placed a finger on top of a black knight.

"Vilgax has been acting on his own, putting pressure on the younger me who is looking for his friend," he said while moving the finger to a white king as he spoke. He then looked over at the white queen that was in a far corner from the king. "However, Airi is avoiding him, most likely out of uncertainty."

He moved the knight, as well as a pawn and a bishop, all black, so that they were surrounding the white king and a collection of different white pieces.

"Wes, Hex, and Squidface have all placed pressure upon the kid's group." He took a white bishop piece and placed it next to the queen. "And now Gwen has shown up."

He looked a lone black pawn that was in the end row of enemy territory.

"Menace… She could play a major role for either side. But I will not interfere with Paradox on that issue."

He looked at another black pawn that stood in the center next to a white one.

"I want to avoid playing a big role in this world's history. But I will be collecting future pieces for the white king."

He looked at the black King and Queen pieces, which were both off the board.

"Whoever is to become the Black King is still unknown. I have cemented Elina's role as a white piece instead of a black one."

"What are you doing?" Melona asked as she snuck up from behind the teen. She snaked her arms around his neck, coating it in blood while looking over his shoulder. "That's a pretty unusual setup of chess pieces."

"I was just thinking about my next course of action. I have Elina under my thumb now, but I wonder who to go after next. I would go after Claudette, but even Ultimate Shiftlash will have great difficulty against her sword."

"Hmm… What about the little slut's older sister?" the slime suggested.

"Hmm… she would work quite nicely, but I need someone who is easier to manipulate first. Ben already has Nyx and Airi, we need someone who doesn't play a direct role in the future," the future Ben said before realizing something. "Wait… an angel will work quite nicely. I even know of one that Heaven would not care about losing."

Melona smirked as she closed her eyes.

"Hmm… An angel as a slave… I actually like the sound of that." she said. "I think I'm falling for you."

The Bloody Hunter smirked as he raised a hand up to gently stroke one of Melona's rabbit ears. The slime shivered in response as she kissed him on the nape of his neck.

"I have three other candidates besides the angel, all of which have something I can use to manipulate them," he said. "However, one of them will be very challenging due to her strong will. Even if she has been resurrected, the Swamp Witch has little control over her."

Melona blinked in surprise as a familiar face popped into her mind.

"Are you talking about Menace?" she asked.

The Bloody Hunter chuckled as he shook his head.

"No, I am talking about the pirate Liliana," he corrected her. "She has only recently been revived to be Airi's replacement. However, she doesn't want you to know about her until she deems it necessary. Besides, Menace has a one-track mind, and it's set on rebuilding her nation. "

"I see. Well, I guess we'll be paying this Liliana a visit soon enough. But all this talk of you getting more slaves is making me horny…" the slime said while rubbing her chest against the teen's back.

The Bloody Hunter turned around and wrapped an arm around her waist. He grinned slightly before spanking the slime, eliciting a soft moan from her.

"You're such a tease, you need to be punished," he said before spanking her again.

"Mmmm… I've been a really bad girl," the slime moaned sensually before her clothes receded into her body, becoming nude in front of the future Ben.

"Heh, I thought you were above everyone else," the brunet said with a smirk upon seeing the nude slime.

"I am, but you seem to be the only one who can be my equal." Melona admitted before turning around and bending over. "I won't mind if it's just you. You've proven yourself worthy of my approval."

The Bloody Hunter chuckled as he began groping the slime's rear, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"You will not regret this decision, my lovely slime," he reassured her before he spanked her once again.

"Just shut up and spank me already!" Melona cried out while wiggling her ass at him.

* * *

Ben sighed as he sat upon the top of a moss covered boulder, looking up into the sky as grey loomed above.

_What am I going to do? How can I become stronger? I don't want to be a hindrance to everyone else. Is there someway to deactivate the limiter so that I can become Shiftlash permanently?_

"Ben?" a familiar voice called out to him with uncertainty.

The brunet lifted his head as he recognized the familiar voice of Leina.

"Oh, it's you Leina." he said when he looked over his shoulder, noticing the blonde standing behind him. "Been a while since we last met."

Leina nodded as she approached the boy slowly.

"It has been indeed a long time. Almost a month has it been?" she mused. "I see you have changed quite a bit since the last time we spoke. Are you alright?"

"Been better. Only just realized that I'm pathetic while I'm human. I guess I have been relying too much on the Omnitrix…" he replied in self-loathing.

The woman frowned upon hearing him.

"What makes you think that way?" she asked.

"Let's see… I was attacked several times by the same person who I saved, and he always managed to get the upper hand and gave me most of these scars that I have on my body," he replied bitterly. "That and when I tried to help save a friend of mine, the guy who attacked us not long ago easily beaten me with only one blow!"

Leina frowned, able to relate to the boy's frustrations slightly.

"Ben… I was told by a person who I look up to as beingthat I was weak," she admitted . "Yes, hearing that disheartened me quite a bit, but I am not letting that hold me back."

"It's not that. I'm just tired of this exact same thing always happening to me. I am a hero, dammit! I don't want to be the victim…"

Leina fell silent for a few moments as she closed her eyes to collect her thoughts.

"Why?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Ben asked.

"Why do you beat yourself like this?" the blonde asked sternly. "You told me you were a hero. You shouldn't let such trivial concerns affect you, am I wrong?"

"You don't understand! Cerate and Stella are risking their lives to protect me, when it should be the other way around!" Ben snapped.

"I don't see anything wrong with that. Isn't it natural for comrades to support each other?" Leina said with a sigh. "I think this is a matter of your ego."

"My ego?" the young boy asked in confusion.

"It has gotten out of hand." Leina said. "I firmly believed I was Risty's equal until I was given a crushing defeat by her hand. It was then that I finally realized the difference in strength between us. Since then, I have been wondering how I can prove to not only Risty, but to myself that I am not weak. Although my situation was different, it does bare some similarities to what I'm seeing with you. You are still only a child, Ben, so of course you will not be strong enough to defeat everyone you face. However, you can learn from those encounters, and grow up into one who is capable of protecting everyone he cares for. "

"She's right. We're only children, Master., Cerate said as she came into view, catching Leina and Ben off guard. "But like was said before you left, you are far from weak. You're resourceful in the middle of a fight, managed to catch two Gal Monsters, as well as being able to hold your ground despite being injured. Don't even get me started with that fucking hunter. Only the strongest willed can cope with such incidents like you have. Even if you couldn't use the Yummytrick ever again, I will still be proud to call you my master. I fight alongside you because you are strong."

"Cerate…" Ben said, surprised by the Gal Monster's choice of words.

Leina fell silent, smiling slightly as she allowed the younger blonde to take over.

"Listen, the reason Shit Squid attacked us was because he sees us-no, _you_-as a threat. He's _SCARED_ of your strength. Moping around like a whipped little bitch will only work in his favor!" Cerate continued as she approached the boulder.

Ben chuckled softly as a small grin formed on his face.

"You know what… you're right… Vilgax has to be scared of me…" he said as he rose up.

"Master, I promise you this. I will obliterate that big green bastard single-handedly the next time we meet!" Cerate vowed as she clenched a fist in front of her. "I was off guard this time, but it won't happen again."

"I do not fully understand what is going on exactly, but I can tell you one thing. You are not weak, or a victim. " Leina added with a smile.

"Thanks you two," Ben said as his grin turned into a smile. "I wouldn't have been able to get this far if I really was weak. If I was weak, I wouldn't have met either of you. Heck, I would've been dead long before I met Airi."

Cerate nodded as she looked up at the boy.

"So, what are you going to do now, Master?" she asked.

"I say we head to Amara for any leads on where Airi is," Ben said firmly. "That and I start learning how to use a weapon. I think I really need one since I don't think this will be usable for quite a while."

The boy held up the Omnitrix, which was still flashing red.

"Point taken." Cerate said in agreement. " But first, there's dinner. Nyx is cooking."

Leina's head turned towards the Gal Monster upon hearing Nyx's name.

"Excuse me, did you just say 'Nyx'?" she asked.

Both Ben and Cerate looked at Leina in surprise.

"You know her?" Ben asked in confusion.

* * *

Lovlila frowned as she floated in the air on her back. She was currently waiting outside of the throne room, where Paradox was inside, talking to the person they both came here to converse with.

"Really wish that Master can hurry it up. Of course, Ani knows that this is really important, but she's bored!" she said before rolling onto her stomach.

The Gal Monster blinked upon sensing a powerful presence outside. Her eyes widened upon realizing who it was.

"It's him." she muttered before she flew off towards the exit hastily.

* * *

Vilgax marched through the forest in great frustration. Victory was within his grasp, but he had no choice but to retreat upon Zs'skayr's message. Despite his "intense disapproval" towards it, his agreement with Eon was too important to disregard completely, as the Chronian had the only means to return him back home.

Walking beside him was a muscular bald bandit covered in scars from head to toe. His ebony eyes were the telltale sign of him being the current host of the Ectonurite.

"So, why do you want to remove Tennyson from the picture so badly?" Zs'skayr asked.

"Silence Zs'skayr, I am not in a good mood." the Chimera Sui Generis said in a threatening manner.

"Listen, I need the Omnitrix to become complete, while you simply want it. We will simply be at odds with one another. Eon has definitely proven that he can give us what we each want without interfering with one another. Remember what he said? We need the brat alive." the Ectonurite stated without any fear.

Vilgax turned around and grabbed the alien ghost's host by the head, crushing it like it was nothing. Blood oozed out from in between the fingertips. The warlord simply relinquished his grip before shaking as much of the gore off his hand as possible before continuing on.

"I really hate when you do that," Zs'skayr said in annoyance as he emerged from the ground. "Although, I am fortunate that I grew my second skin."

The Ectonurite turned tangible, revealing himself to be wearing the second skin that the Omnitrix created when Ben turned into Ghostfreak.

Vilgax growled before he stopped.

"I am aware of what you said about Tennyson, however, I also know that there's a second Tennyson, one who is older," he explained.

"Ahh, you mean the one who Eon has labeled the 'Bloody Hunter'?" Zs'skayr asked. "I remember him saying that he is actually a future version of the young Ben here."

"Exactly. I may not understand how time works, but I know one thing, the future is never set," Vilgax admitted. "Why have him be an enemy when he can become an ally?"

"So, that explains why you've been acting on your own," Eon said as he came out from behind a tree. The Chronian now had the body of a young man. "You have been attempting to turn the Bloody Hunter into an ally for our ends… Very interesting. You usually don't do that sort of thing."

"Precisely," the warlord confirmed. " As much as I'd like to kill the boy, I realized how useful the future self can be. With his knowledge, we can complete our goals, as well as changing any future events that will not be… favorable for us. I have been attacking Tennyson to make him afraid, but I know once will not be enough."

"I know, but be aware Vilgax, Ben may re-unlock the Toku'star form. It was the same one that he easily defeated you with after all." Eon warned the towering alien.

Vilgax's growl turned into an infuriating scream as he ripped a tree out of the ground before throwing it.

"I see… that would be most inconvenient for us," Zs'skayr said in slight concern.

Eon chuckled as a sinister grin formed on his face.

"True, Way Big is one of Ben's strongest forms. However, there is only one person who can easily defeat it, and it is not the Bloody Hunter."

"Who are we talking about exactly?" the Ectonurite inquired.

"One of us besides myself knows exactly who I'm talking about," Eon replied. "He's encountered her once before."

Vilgax became silent as he listened to the Chronian.

"Interesting," the Ectonurite said in fascination. "To think that this world would have a counter for such a threat. I would like to know who it is, but that is not important right now. Progress on my part has progressed smoothly. "

"That reminds me. In regards to the plan, we have a problem developing. Melona has willingly aligned herself with the Bloody Hunter," Eon pointed out in a calm manner. "However, there is also a silver lining in this."

The time traveler paused to make sure that at least the alien ghost was paying attention.

"The Swamp Witch isn't pleased with what has been going on lately. She has been losing key servants one after another. If any of us, Tennyson included, weren't here, she wouldn't be in such a situation," the Chronian continued. "Undermining the Swamp Witch has been part of my own personal plans from the very beginning, although I haven't done much in that regards, thanks to both versions of Tennyson. She is now in a vulnerable position where her plans will be easily ruined should she fail to regain control of Melona."

"What about the Queen?" Vilgax spoke up, becoming interested in the conversation.

"The Queen is a lot more difficult. As I've formed an agreement with her, I cannot use the same tactics. The only leverage I can possibly have is knowing where her sister is," the time traveling alien confessed. "However, the current queen is not the one I am concerned about. It's the next one… She will be a formidable adversary once becoming queen. Apparently the Bloody Hunter already has taken action to ensure that he has control of some kind in the future…"

The three aliens fell silent as Eon looked at the purple device strapped to his wrist.

"Vilgax, you've actually did well, however, we must switch tactics. Tennyson will likely expect you to attack again." the Chronian replied

"So, who do you think shall be next then?" the towering warlord asked while clenching his fists.

"I think I shall send Animo next," Eon said with a smirk. "Besides, he is perfect for furthering Ben's torment. But still, I can't help but wonder how you were able to persuade him into letting you use some of his mutants, Vilgax."

"I don't need to tell you, Chronian." the alien warlord replied curtly.

"You're right, you don't need to." the time traveling alien replied calmly. "Animo already expressed both his anger and thanks towards you for what happened to his swarm. While he is angry for the fact that you lost all of them, he is pleased with the data that was collected."

"What is that human planning exactly? From what you've told us, he is a brilliant, yet simple minded human, obsessed with only one goal," Zs'skayr asked. "How does he play into our plan?"

Eon only smirked.

"He is quite important actually." he replied. "As for his given role, I can't indulge on such information at this time, unfortunately. It's a precaution to prevent our alliance to fall apart. I will fill you both in when it's time."

* * *

Nyx kept a careful eye on the fish she was cooking near the open flame while the rabbit carcasses were being cooked above it with a makeshift spit made out of a tree branch that was debarked by Stella. She prided herself in her talent of creating delicious meals with simple ingredients, one that was convenient when in the outdoors where ingredients can be scarce.

Despite focusing her attention to the fire, the woman couldn't help but feel the sense that something or someone was watching her from above. It wasn't a threatening presence, but it didn't make any effort to hide either.

"Umm… Stella, do you think we're being watched?" Nyx asked the Gal Monster.

The blonde, who was sparing with Echidna, blocked a strike from above with the tip of her blade.

"Too busy right now…" she replied before forcing the mercenary's peculiar sword back.

Echidna however leaped back and ceased her attack while lowering her weapon.

"There is another presence here," she said in a serious tone.

The Gal Monster frowned as she stared at the elf.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag," a voice said from a tree above them. "Oh well, things happen."

Stella looked upwards as she heard the voice.

"Great… It just had to be the harpy," she said bitterly upon noticing who took off from the tree and was now flying above everyone's heads. "What the hell do you want, Puia!?"

* * *

The Bloody Hunter looked at Melona as he grasped the door handle. The pair were covered in dried blood, neither paying much attention to that.

"You all set?" the brunet asked.

"Yep. Now it's time to get down to business," the slime replied while holding up the severed head of the lord, whose face was frozen in fear and agony.

The Bloody Hunter nodded as he opened the door, coming face to face with a servant girl who stared at the pair for a moment before focusing upon the head that Melona held.

"Boo." the teen said sarcastically, causing the servant to snap out of her shock.

A bloodcurdling scream filled the air as the young woman ran for her life while alerting the guards in the process.

"Showtime!" the future Ben said as a sadistic grin formed on his face. He reached for the red broadsword that stood near the doorway before activating the weapon, exposing the chainsaw blade hidden within it.

One of the guards came forward with a poleax in hand.

"What's going on… MY LORD!" he cried out upon seeing the head. He lowered his weapon and got into a fighting stance. "What have you two done?!"

"Nothing much, just fulfilling my end of my contract." The Bloody Hunter said casually, stepping to the side before Melona fired an acid bullet from her left breast.

The guard screamed in pain as his flesh melted away as soon as the projectile connected with his face. Within seconds, the man collapsed to the ground, his face dissolved to the point that the skull was exposed while a gory soup seeped out of the nostrils and eye sockets.

"We have two objectives here, the first is to secure the castle and deliver the head to Lord Vance. The second is to find that obese little bastard. He has to be here. I'll handle finding the fat blob. You kill anyone who stands in the way however you like, Melona."

"Music to my ears!" the slime said eagerly as a sadistic grin formed on her face. "May I borrow that sword of yours?"

The Bloody Hunter smirked and casually tossed the sword to his partner. Melona grinned as she caught the sword by the handle as the blade dug into her flesh.

"Oooo… I didn't know it vibrated. It feels sooo… _gooood_…" the slime moaned as she held the blade handle, reveling in the arousing rhythm of the vibrations that the sword gave off.

"Hyper vibration crystals. Gotta love them." the teen said as his smirk grew.

_Haven't done this kind of thing in over a year. Man, talk about nostalgia…_

_After losing my family, I still did the whole hero gig for the next two months… but it wasn't the same… Vilgax dying at my hand sickened me to the bone, and for some reason, it still does. Every time I fought, it reminded me of them… we were a team that always won in a fight. And we were inseparable._

The Bloody Hunter watched as a small group of guards came into view, all armed to the teeth. He noticed for one, it was quite literally with the dagger he held with his mouth.

_However, when the Incurseans invaded, everything changed. I tried to save everyone, but it happened once again… Grandpa was executed by that fatass emperor to set an example for the human race. I guess that was when I finally broke. I never enjoyed killing till then. Unlike Vilgax, which was simply me ripping his head off, I made sure the fucker really suffered. Burning his eyes out with acid as Shiftlash, breaking every bone in his arms as Four Arms, then ripping his legs off as Dinostrike. Afterwards, I impaled his fat ass as Speedspike and finally feasting on his guts as Wildmutt while he was still barely alive._

Melona charged forward, tossing the head to the boy as he caught it without looking. The slime turned her hands into blades before swinging them, leaving a path of death and gore in her wake.

_I allowed the frogs to leave after I made Attea swear to answer my call whenever I needed her as well as to never attack Earth I returned home, I was welcomed as Ben 10 the Hero. However, I didn't care about that anymore._

_The fame didn't matter. The publicity had no form of satisfaction towards me. However, when I tortured that Incursean, I never felt such joy felt so liberating. People say revenge only brings despair after you achieve it were wrong. While I felt bad for killing again, it wasn't anything near as bad as it was with Vilgax. It left me completely satisfied actually. I was also celebrated for being a murderer… although no one except for Gwen and Attea knew that._

_However, that satisfaction also birthed that budding desire to be bathed in blood once again._

_At first I could control it, but that urge soon overwhelmed me… My first victim of the bloodlust was a simple bank robber. After that, I began to leave a trail of corpses behind me. I originally tried to resist it, but soon gave in as soon as I felt the man shot me in the shoulder as Shiftlash._

_That form always intensified the urges whenever I was him… It was like Shiftlash himself was trying to encourage me to do such things. Now that I think about it, I also was more aggressive. This isn't like Ghostfreak, but it makes me wonder if something's up with that form…_

_Focus, man, you have a job to do… last thing I need to happen is that other alternate version of me showing up… Fighting him once during the Time War was bad enough. To think he not only mastered the Ultimatrix, but has managed to augment it so he can utilize the powers of multiple forms at once._

_Ultimate Shiftlash with the speed of Ultimate Speedspike and the Strength of Four Arms…_

_Damn it! Stop thinking and get your ass into gear, Blood! You can't let **them** succeed._

With that, the Bloody Hunter snapped into action, running through the slaughterhouse of a hallway as his comrade kept the guards' attention upon herself, allowing the teen to slip away unnoticed to a lower level.

"Now, where will you be hiding at, goblin?" he said out loud while going down a spiraling stairwell. "You have something that I want."

_I must weaken the Swamp Witch in any and all ways possible… Remove her control over her elite. Diminish the size of her army as much as I can. Prevent her from killing that damned Wes. Perhaps I can even free her… As well as keeping her from dying…_

Once he arrived at the bottom, he stopped to open up a portal, in which he placed both hands into before pulling out a pair weapons.

"Been a while since I've used these," he noted.

The sword in his left hand was a blue version of the chainsaw sword that he lent to Melona while his right hand clutched a katana. The Bloody Hunter twirled both blades nimbly before he smiled.

"Prepare yourself Dogura… I am going to relish bathing in your blood after I carve your carcass into a mask for me to wear."

* * *

Airi and Gwen watched as Nanael left without saying another word, not wanting to be involved with the wraith any further.

"Talk about being high and mighty..." Gwen said dryly. "Hope I don't ever see her again."

"Agreed." the inhuman maid said with a sigh. "I won't be surprised if she becomes a fallen angel for that demeanor of hers."

"So, how long has it been since you first met Ben?" the redhead asked. "I don't recall you telling me how long you've known him for"

"It has been almost a month since I've first met him," Airi replied. "As you recall, I haven't seen him in a long time."

"Hold up… did you just say a month?! Ben's been gone for almost two where I came from!" Gwen interjected.

Airi fell silent as she heard the young girl's remark.

_What did she mean by that?_ the wraith thought to herself.

A flash of light caught the attention of both girls, causing them to turn around to see a newcomer.

"It's simple actually, time in Gwen's world moves faster than here," he explained. "Basically, if a year passed here, two-and-a-half years will go by there. "

The pair were confused for a moment before they recognized who it was.

"Ben?" they asked in questioned unison.

The Bloody Hunter chuckled as he leaned against Elina's spear with a smirk. His blindfold was a dark green while wearing a regal looking green cloak stained with blood. The back of his cloak had the Omnitrix emblem embroidered in glistening gold thread.

"Close, but wrong." another voice said coldly.

The redheads turned around to see another one standing behind them, this one wielding the Queen's sword. He wore a brown tattered cloak, while his lower face was covered by a black scarf with tattered tails that reached the back of his waist. It was impossible see his emotions as his ebony eyes showed nothing but indifference.

The blindfolded Ben was the one who spoke next.

"You sure have the most impeccable timing, Gwen. I've been waiting for you to arrive." he said in a lustful manner while licking his lips.

Airi immediately summoned her scythe and glared at the first one.

"Who are you?" she demanded while shifting glances between the Bloody Hunters.

"We are one and the same. We were once called Ben Tennyson, but we are only pieces of him after the Omnitrix was destroyed while using Overclock. My brother and I are born from that," Blindfold explained calmly. "I am the Sanguine Slayer. My brother is known as the Demon Breaker."

The Demon Breaker began to chuckle as he got into a fighting stance, his emotionless eyes soon lighting up with maniacal excitement.

"Can I have the wraith?" Breaker asked eagerly.

"Of course,Breaker." his twin replied casually with a smirk. "It will be fun breaking you both into our playthings, after I take care of business first."

The Sanguine Slayer held up his left arm, revealing his Ultimatrix before activating it.

In a flash of light, both Gwen and Airi were in shock at what form the Slayer became. Smirking at them was Way Big.

"The time has finally come for everyone to know that a new power has arrived," the Toku'star declared before looking up towards the sky and shouted as loud as he could. " We stand above all! Mortals, Demons, and even the Gods!"

"Oh man… we are in so much trouble," Gwen said while hiding behind Airi's back.

"That is a quite the understatement," the wraith added before another flash caught their attention.

"You got that right!" a crazed looking green Shiftlash said while brandishing his sword. His outfit was similar to the others, but instead had a black headband in addition to it.

"As it has been for as long as people can remember, the Queen's Blade has allowed only women to participate!" Way Big continued. "However, this will change! This Queen's Blade shall become a fight for the future that ANYONE can take part in! Many of you have heard stories of unusual individuals, like the infamous Deceiving Youth for example. I am one of them, known as the Sanguine Slayer! I shall crush all who attempt to stand in my way in forging the path for the future Eternal King!"

He then looked up at the sky.

"Eon, I know you're listening as well, and I'm calling you and all your friends out as well."

* * *

"So… The gauntlet has finally been thrown," Paradox said solemnly as he heard the challenge.

"What's going on exactly?" a female's voice asked in confusion.

"A fight to decide the fate of this world's future, Your Majesty," the Time Walker replied humbly.

A voluptuous girl laid on her belly nude on top a stone alter as a mummy was giving her a massage.

Her short black hair stood out in the room that was lit by torches as her blue eyes focused upon Paradox.

"I see… but would it affect my plans to rebuild Amara?" the resurrected princess of Amara, Menace asked.

"I'm afraid so. If you don't partake in it, all your efforts will go to waste," Paradox said solemnly before making his voice more positive. "However, should you win, restoring your nation to its former glory will be very easy."

Menace paused to contemplate while kicking her legs slightly.

* * *

**Converse Corner of Randomness**

Heh, quite a few bombshells this time around.

I apologize for not having Menace's debut be what a lot of you were expecting, but at least I kept my word. She's going to be more prominent next chapter, so don't chew my ass out just yet.

Also, for those who didn't get it, the chapter title is a play on Amara and the phrase "Aww, man" .

Now, I will confirm that Ben's ninth form is in fact Way Big. As I said before, I won't be using aliens who are overpowered like Alien X. However, I realized something regarding Way Big that doesn't make him as overpowered as some of you would think him to be. What it is exactly, I won't say one bit what it is, but I'm not talking about the weak point.

Now, on to the questions. Note that these were asked in a PM. They are not copied word for word, nor were directly asked as a question.

Q:What's your favorite Ben 10 alien?

A: Rath. He is as entertaining for me to write with as it is to watch.

Q: Will we be seeing other Ben 10 protagonists in Misplaced Hero?

A: Besides Paradox and Gwen, I never really had planned on involving any other characters like Rook or Kevin (UAE era).

Q: How many Bens are there going to be?

A: That's tricky to answer. All the Bens who showed up so far are all technically the same person from the same timeline, just different points. I don't plan on having any more showing up. Four of them will be more than enough.

Q: Are you going to be using Rebellion characters?

A: If you all noticed, two have been referenced, but no physical debuts will occur for a good while still.

That'll be all for this chapter. Please keep up the continued support, especially the reviews.

Till Next time!


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